A Better Life (Re-Write)
by PokePotterfan93
Summary: Harry has died at the Battle of Hogwarts. Thanks to the power of the Hallows and some help from Death, he has managed to gain a second chance at life. But this life is not the one he expected. A re-write of my old story with a new plot. Hope you all enjoy. As always, Rating is mostly for language, violence and suggested themes.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I wanted to put this at the start instead of the end because I wanted to say a few words before you all started reading. For those that read the original 'A Better Life', I hope you enjoy this new one. The plot for the old one died a long time ago, with a part of me that no longer exists. The base premise itself has changed to be honest, but I tried to put as many ideas as I could into it. The old story is gone, deleted from the site with all the original chapters lost to me as well. At first, I wanted to simply give the story to another to finish, but that wouldn't do my story justice, nor would it be fair to myself. I know that a lot of people loved the story, but I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much.**

 **The first chapter may feel rushed, but I assure you this fast pace is what I was going for to set the theme. I want to thank you all as well before you read the chapter. Your continued support of my stories is the only reason I even write anymore. Without it, the last creative part of me would probably be gone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now please, enjoy the story.**

 **Prologue**

It wasn't so bad, dying. Sirius had told him the truth, he did feel like he had just fallen asleep. His eyes were slowly coming into focus, revealing a large white room all around him. He stood up, noticing that he was draped in only a white robe and shoes while there were pathetic sounding cries coming from below him. The room almost resembled King's Cross Station, if someone ever had the time to clean the place that was.

He moved towards the bench in front of him, noticing that the crying was following him. He glanced down, noticing the baby like creature that was clutching to his leg. He panted, trying to release the creature from his leg.

"It won't let go." A voice called out. "You're the only thing keeping it alive." The voice explained, making its way to him.

"W-Where am I...?" Harry finally managed to ask, flailing his leg.

"You are in the afterlife, Mr Potter." The now hooded figure replied, gripping the creature by the neck. "You're the second last one." An inhuman chuckle escaped from the hooded figure as it placed the creature under its robe. "I thank you, Harry Potter."

"Y-You're Death, aren't you?" Harry stared at the figure, feeling a coldness overtake him. "You're here for my soul…"

"No." Death shook the hood, holding out a small book from one of their skeletal hands. "Harry James Potter. Born in July 1981 to Elizabeth Maria Potter nee Evans and James Charlus Potter. You've lived an…well you lived." The voice remarked, with a bored tone permeating through. "I've seen farmers with more exciting lives than this."

"Hey!" Harry frowned. "I fought against Voldemort!"

"Fought?" Death smirked. "You locked into Priori Incantatem with him in a graveyard. Managed to get possessed by him a year later. You did nothing the following year, and now to top it all off, you let him kill you! What kind of bloody life do you call that then?"

Harry's frown deepened. "I destroyed the Diary! And got the other Horcruxes!"

"A Ronald Weasley destroyed the Locket. One Hermione Granger destroyed the Cup. Dumbledore destroyed the Ring. Voldemort himself destroyed his own one within you. And a BLOODY DEATH EATER DESTROYED THE DIADEM AFTER YOU STABBED IT IN THE WRONG PLACE!" Death bellowed at him. "For the love of the universe, you are one of the single most irritating humans I've ever come across. And I've known every evil in history!"

Harry sighed. "Look, can you just send me to the rest of the afterlife? Or is this my punishment for the life I led?"

Death groaned, removing the hood to reveal a half-decomposed skull. "I haven't had a brain since humans started fires, and yet you have still managed to give me a migraine!" He held out his hand, waving it at him. "And you hold the bloody Hallows!" He closed his one remaining eye, motioning his skull up. "What did I do to piss you off? Was it the whole Black Death thing? I was going through a phase! After all, you weren't exactly speaking to me then! You did fuck all to Fate, and she started the SPANISH INQUISITION! NOT TO MENTION WHAT PRIDE DONE TO ATLANTIS! Why are you punishing me?!"

Harry watched on with confusion as Death seemed to have a breakdown. "I'm the Master of the Hallows? The Master of Death?"

Death released a blast of energy, forcing Harry to his knees. "NO ONE IS THE MASTER OF ME! I AM DEATH! THOSE TRINKETS WERE STOLEN BY YOUR ANCESTORS." He pulled out his scythe, resting the tip of its blade under his chin. His breathing calmed as he eased up his grip. "But, you are the Master of the Hallows. As such…I am forced to give you a second chance…" He begrudgingly admitted, forcing Harry to his feet.

Harry didn't know if his heart was able to beat while in the afterlife, but he was sure if it could then his was in his throat. "So, I can go back to my life?"

Death laughed at him, gripping his skeletal ribs as if the laughter was causing air to leave his non-existent lungs. "You want to go back to that shit show of a life?! Are you serious?" He asked, shaking his head at the young man. "I'm offering you a second chance at LIFE! Not a chance to return to that train wreck."

"B-But, I have to defeat Voldemort!" Harry argued.

"No, you don't!" Death snapped. "You followed a prophecy from a woman who has only made THREE damn predictions! ANYONE could've killed him, Harry. The Prophecy meant your bloody Horcrux! Neither can live while the OTHER survives. If that was true, BOTH of you would've dropped dead when he was revived in the graveyard!"

Harry sat dumbfounded for a minute. "S-So, I completed the Prophecy...? I don't have to fight anymore?" He asked, his head throbbing at the thought. "But Dumbledore told me…"

"Dumbledore was a fool, Harry. A good man. An amazing teacher, but a fool." Death sighed, fixing his hood back in place. He brought out the large ledger of souls. "He put all his eggs in one basket out of fear. Fear that he couldn't defeat Riddle."

Harry closed his eyes. "D-Death…were their deaths necessary?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I can't answer that. That is my sister's department." Death explained. He removed the scythe from his hand, motioning to a room. "That is the Sharded Hall." He clicked his fingers. "For the small, small price of two of the Hallows, you may try your live again. You'll be placed in the body of another Harry Potter in another life. I cannot guarantee that the life will be better or worse, only that it will not follow the events of your life."

Harry watched as the Hallows came into view. "The Wand and the Stone." He instantly chose, reaching out for the cloak. "This is a Potter family heirloom, I can't give it up." He hugged it close to him, trying to ignore the fact that he looked like a child clinging to a blanket after a nightmare.

Death watched the young man. "Ignotus Peverell, the only one who actually earned his reward. Something he has done in _all_ realities." He chuckled for a second, taking the wand and stone. "In exchange for this, you must promise never to seek out the three Hallows."

"I promise. I'll only keep the Cloak…if it is the Potters in the life I choose." Harry wiped his eyes. He didn't know when the tears started, but he knew why they were coming. "W-What's going to happen to my friends?"

"Neville Longbottom will destroy the snake, but die in the act." Death whispered. "Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley will defeat the Dark Lord with the help of Kingsley Shacklebolt, who will also perish in the fight. It will take years, but England will recover. Your friends will live happy lives, except for Ginny Weasley, who will forever mourn the fact she never reconciled with you."

Harry sighed. "I suppose I can't expect a happy ending for everyone…" He stood up, moving towards the Sharded Hall. He opened the door, gasping at the multiple floating shards of glass. "T-These are all my life?"

"Indeed. Life, like a tree is ever branching." Death mused, leaning against his scythe. "Each of these shards represent a different life, all of which share one common theme: your birth." He motioned for Harry to choose one. "Choose carefully, for you may never get another chance, Harry."

Harry moved towards the shards, feeling a pull towards one of the smaller shards. He reached his hand out, feeling it attach to him. "What happens now?"

"Curl your hand into a fist, and your soul will move to the body of that Harry Potter." Death frowned. "Your memories will not meld, so be careful." He smirked. "I wish you luck, Harry Potter."

"Thank you, Death." Harry whispered.

"Don't fuck your life up again." Death added with a chuckle.

Harry smirked. "I'll try not to." He curled his fingers around the shard. He tightened his grip, feeling the shard turn to dust. "Goodbye." He whispered, feeling an almost Portkey like pull on his navel before his eyes closed again.

"Take that Fate. You bitch." Death smirked to himself, clearing the other shards away. "It's all up to you now, Headmaster." He pulled a small shard from the stone and the wand. "I nearly have them back."

 **-ABL-**

His eyes opened to a white ceiling and he instantly worried that it didn't work. Could he have been so unlucky that he went into the final moments of another body? Was his Fate well and truly sealed? He heard the beeping of a heart monitor, and surmised that he was in a hospital. He held his arms up, noticing that they were slightly muscular. Not enough for him to be considered ripped, but enough for him to be considered a healthy weight.

He heard rustling from beside him. "He's awake!" A male voice called out. He couldn't place the voice, but what came into view was an almost mirror image of him, except for the eyes.

"D-Dad?" Harry wrapped his arms around the man, holding onto him. So, he was in a place where at least his father survived the war. He let out a sobbed chuckle, tightening his hold on the man.

"Jesus, he must've really been hit bad." A female voice called out. Unlike the first voice, Harry could place this one. It haunted most of his nightmares for nearly two decades.

"Mum…" He whispered, breaking the hug to turn to her. Age had been good to her. She had a small wisp of grey hair on one side of her hair, but her face remained wrinkle free and serene. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to him. "What happened?"

Lily held onto him, breaking the hug with a large frown. "You, you're a reckless idiot! What the hell compelled you to attack the Dark Lord like that?!" She shouted at him, causing him to pale. Voldemort was still around? His heart began to beat faster. Was this life just like the one he left? Was the only difference the survival of his parents?

"I-I'm sorry." Harry breathed out, wiping his eyes. "I'm so sorry. It was stupid. It was reckless." He whimpered. Years of emotions began to pour out of him. "I just wanted to keep everyone safe…"

Lily wrapped her arms around him. "Shh…" She held onto him, rubbing his back. "You're alive, Harry. That's all that matters."

James frowned as his son broke down. He'd never seen Harry act so emotional before. His son usually remained emotionally distant to everyone as a safety mechanism. He heard the door open, turning his head to see the Headmaster. "Oh great…" He muttered. "Your grandfather's here."

Harry frowned, turning his head to see a man in the doorway. The man had grey hair, though a few specks of black could be seen throughout it. His eyes were piercing into him as he strode over to them. What made Harry's heart stop was when the man spoke, he recognised the voice instantly. "VOLDEMORT!"

Tom Riddle raised an eyebrow at his grandson. "I haven't heard anyone call me that since I was sixteen, Harry." He chuckled softly, taking a seat beside him. "What possessed you to attack the Dark Lord like that?!" He snapped, glaring at him. "Your mother has been worried sick here! And I don't like seeing my daughter like that!"

Harry's complexion paled to the point he resembled a corpse. His mother was the spawn of Voldemort? What kind of fucked up life had Death dropped him into? He took a step back, summoning the wand beside him without a word. "Let me out of here, now!" He ordered, gripping the wand tightly.

Riddle watched him carefully. "Harry, put down the wand." He said softly, though his tone held a strictness that showed his years. He summoned his own wand, thinking carefully. "Legilimens!" He cast, breaking through the rather weak defences that his grandson had up. He watched the memories carefully, blinking once he was done. "That's not our Harry." He said softly, gripping his head tightly. "He's…" He sat back down, wiping some blood from his nose. "I'm not sure what he is…"

James and Lily watched their son in horror. He lowered the wand, seeing the concern the two had for the elderly man. "I was dead." He said softly. "Killed by the Dark Lord Voldemort." He whispered, taking a cautious step forward. "Because I held the Deathly Hallows, I was able to gain a second chance."

"That makes…sense." Lily whispered, matching his careful steps. "Our son took on the Dark Lord a few days ago." She took a deep breath. "We had just turned off his life support machine…he was brain dead. W-We were here to guide his passing."

Harry's eyes widened. _'Your memories won't meld.'_ Now it made sense to him. There were no memories in the head to meld. He had basically taken over a husk of himself. "Death told me I'd have no memories of my new life. I suppose he chose that for a reason." He placed the wand on the bed. "Who is the Dark Lord...?" He cautiously asked, frowning at them.

Tom looked up at him. "In your world, he was your trusted mentor." He spoke softly. "In this world, he is a vicious dictator, and one who has waged war with England for decades. He rules most of Europe with an iron fist. Muggles and Magicals alike speak his name with more than an ounce of fear." He wiped the last of the blood from his nose, rising to his feet. "He holds the only Shadow Phoenix in existence and is rumoured to have stolen the philosopher's stone from the Flamel family years ago. He calls himself the Immortal Emperor. You know him as Albus Dumbledore." He whispered, placing his hand on his grandson's shoulder. "And you, are Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily. Grandson of Dorea, Charlus, Viola and Thomas." He sat him down. He turned to his son in-law and daughter. "And in his world, I was the one who killed his parents…"

Lily knelt down to her son…to the person who _was_ her son. "Harry...?" She cupped his chin, seeing the pain in his eyes. "You're safe, Harry." She promised him.

Harry took a deep breath, letting the tears fall. "I don't want to fight anymore…" He whispered, shaking his head. "I-I just want to live my life." He wiped the tears away, staring at Riddle. "Y-You're my grandfather...?"

Riddle nodded, summoning a bottle of water from the table. He poured out a glass for the young man. "Drink it slowly, you've may have been only hurt moments ago, but you've been in a coma for more than two weeks now in this world." He glanced at Lily. "I'm guessing that your mother isn't the child of Voldemort in your reality?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "Tom Marvolo Riddle was born to Merope Gaunt and Thomas Riddle Senior on New Year's Eve, 1926. His mother had seduced his father with a love potion. Once she fell pregnant, she stopped giving it to him, hoping he'd stay with her. Alas, she was wrong." He spoke softly, taking a small sip of water. "She died giving birth and he was placed in an orphanage. At eleven, he was discovered by Albus Dumbledore. At that point, he was already dark. His childhood spent working on the power he had discovered."

Riddle frowned, pondering on the events. "Most are similar. I was born to Thomas and Merope Riddle. My mother had been saved from an abusive family by my father." He smiled softly. "I'm the eldest of four children, and the only one to have magical blood. My siblings are all within the muggle world, and all are happy." He took Lily's hand. "I married a muggle woman by the name of Viola when I was thirty-five and she was twenty. She bore me five beautiful children." He smiled at his daughter. "Who in turn have borne me many grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren." He chuckled.

Harry stared at them for a moment. "I see." He stood up carefully, checking himself in the mirror. "Did you see all of my life?" He asked politely.

"Most." Riddle nodded. "Your shield work is dreadful, though some memories were properly hidden away." He watched the young man carefully. "Your name is Harry James Potter, born on the 31st of July 1980. Your parents were killed in front of you at the age of one. You grew up with a muggle family and didn't know of magic until you were eleven." He gestured to him. "As for here, you're the eldest son of James and Lily."

"E-Eldest…?" Harry stuttered, turning around. "H-How many...?"

"Potters?" Riddle asked softly. "Including you and your parents, six."

Harry found himself back into a chair as quick as he could, gripping his head. "Death whispered something as I left, but I didn't catch it. You're the descendant of a Peverell. So am I…"

"The descendant of two, actually." Riddle corrected him. "Cadmus and Ignotus, the second and third brothers."

Harry frowned. "Do they exist in all realities? H-Has Death…?" He stood up for a moment. "Where are they?! I'm not allowed to have the stone or the wand."

Riddle smirked. "Good, because I was leaving none of them to you in the will. My grandson with a Deathly Hallow? It's be pure madness." He clicked his fingers, making the ring appear on his finger. "The wand is locked within my personal vault in my home. The cloak is in your father's possession."

"I see." Harry took a deep breath. "Then, the two of you could summon Death. I need answers…"

Riddle raised an eyebrow. "Are you mad? He hates me! You Potters are ok, but the Gaunt blood within comes from Cadmus Peverell."

Harry frowned. "We need answers. Death could've forced me to the afterlife, or even allowed me to return to my life. He didn't…"

James walked out of the room, returning a half hour later with two small boxes. He opened his one, placing the cloak on the table. "I want answers." He said softly. "Can you do it, Thomas?"

Riddle nodded, opening the last of the boxes. He took the ring from his hand, and placed it around the wand, covering both of them with the cloak. "This may only work one time, so be ready." He warned them. "From ancient wood and cloth of old, from stone of the endless and the power of the originals, with thy name and thy command, I summon thee, the Immortal Entity, DEATH!"

The cloak floated above them, turning into a spectral entity as soon as it gained enough height. "It's been an hour, kid!" He snapped at Harry. He bowed his head to Riddle. "Thomas."

"Death." Riddle bowed his head, smiling at him. "You certainly are a bastard."

"I did as you asked, Thomas." Death chuckled, moving closer to them. "For those who did not know, Thomas made a deal with me last night. His grandson's soul, for the shard within the wand."

"Shard?" Harry asked curiously.

"Fifty shards." Riddle explained to him. "Fifty realities wherein Death was fooled by three young men." He chuckled weakly. "The shards can only be relinquished by those who share the same blood as the originals. It was Death's punishment from his creator. He is bound to the Peverell Line until all shards return to him."

Death frowned. "As such, I currently have nearly all the shards of my wand, most of the cloak ones and soon, all of the ones from the stone." He sighed. "I saw opportunity, Thomas. Your grandson's soul was shredded by the spell. Even I couldn't claim it! But this boy," He gestured to Harry. "A soul as pure as snow, which it shouldn't be. It should be mangled by the stains of evil. I spared him from a life of pain, and in return, gave you your grandson back."

Riddle frowned, shaking his head at the spectre. "I needed MY grandson back!" He snapped. "He had years of training and more importantly, he was OURS! This boy, he may be Harry in soul, but not in spirit…"

Death rolled his eye. "True, but he can be taught. I left loopholes in his terms, you idiot. He may not be allowed to hold the wand or the stone, but I left important clauses in his return. You're supposed to be intelligent, Thomas. Find a way." He frowned.

Riddle glared at the spectre. "Our deal no longer stands. You may keep that shard, but I'll ensure that you are bound to this family until the sun itself burns out." He warned him.

"You dare threaten me, Thomas?" Death asked, staring into the man's eyes. "You dare?"

Harry summoned his wand, pointing it at Death. "You forced me here?!" He shouted, pressing the wand at the Resurrection Stone. "He hasn't gotten the shards from them, has he?"

"No." Riddle responded.

Harry summoned the Stone to him. "I've broken your terms. I hold the Stone."

Death groaned. "You're an idiot. You haven't used it." He grabbed it from him. "I can send you back if you want, but I'm afraid things have changed in your absence."

Harry frowned, gripping the wand tightly in his hand. "I will kill you." He warned. "I'll stay here, since it's apparent that they need Harry Potter…"

Riddle watched him carefully. "You will?" He asked, ignoring the spectre.

"If I have to…" Harry wiped his eyes. He didn't know when he started crying, but he knew the cause. "But you," He stuck the wand into Death's spectral neck. "My friends, any of them that have fallen…and that will," He choked out a sob. "All gain entry to whatever good the afterlife has."

"I will ensure it." Death frowned. "If Riddle here agrees to honour his promise!"

Riddle stared into the eyes of his grandson. "The shards are yours, as soon as Albus Dumbledore's soul is no more."

Death nodded. "I take my leave." He turned to Harry. "Many fell, but they fell with honour and dignity. Not one of them went to his side." He said softly. "They died with the same honour you did. They died with the same conviction that you had. I hope that thought can comfort you."

Harry closed his eyes. "Go. Before I decide to shred you apart…" He commanded, his voice tight and filled with pain.

Death nodded. "The day was won in the end."

"At what costs...?" Harry asked, staring at the now empty cloak. "At what costs…"

 **-ABL-**

The next morning wasn't an easy for him. He sat up in the hospital bed, seeing Riddle–his grandfather sitting across from him. He didn't know how to feel about the situation at hand. He knew that Death would honour the promise, especially if it meant that he would gain more of the shards. If what he knew was true, it sounded like the Hallows were almost like Horcruxes for Death.

He noticed that his grandfather was staring at him intensely. "If you have a question, then just ask it."

Riddle smirked at him, shaking his head. "You sound so much like your mother. She's not the biggest fan of people beating around the bush. I think I know what the loophole is." He smirked.

Harry frowned. "What is it?" He asked softly.

Riddle chuckled. "I believe that the loophole has to do with your lack of memories. If I'm correct, then I will be able to return most of the memories my grandson held." He threw him a bag. "I brought Harry's favourite things to wear, so you'll look the part."

Harry walked into the bathroom, opening the bag. He raised his eyebrow at the sight of some of the clothes but changed into them regardless. The jacket was something he could appreciate. Ever since he saw Tonks' one years ago, he had wanted a dragonhide jacket. The jeans were rather plain, but he didn't mind. The t-shirt was a blank V-neck black one and seemed to blend in with the jacket. He walked out, seeing a pair of large boots. "I wear Doc Martins?" He scoffed.

"Obsessed with them. Much to my displeasure." Riddle chuckled. "I believe they were his favourite pair. Something to do with a fight he was in when he wore them." He shrugged, tossing him a pair of keys. "Come on." He walked outside with him, handing him a helmet. "You ever driven a bike?"

Harry stared at the bike in front of him. "That looks like the one Sirius owned."

"It should. He got you one for your sixteenth birthday." Riddle chuckled. "I can still remember the look on your mother's face when she kicked him in the bollocks." He grinned. "Apple of my eye for that one." He chuckled softly.

Harry put his helmet on, placing the key in the engine. "Why don't we just apparate?"

Riddle sighed. "That'll be explained soon. Just listen to my instructions and we'll be there in no time."

After an hour of driving without knowing the destination, Harry stopped outside a place he knew well. His hands trembled as he got off of the bike. "Little Hangleton…"

Riddle placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Shh, this isn't the same evil place as you remember, Harry." He brought him into the house, heading towards the attic. "When my parents discovered that I was magical, they had this room professionally warded so I could practice magic in the summers. When I had my own children, I converted it into a specialised meditation room. You're the only one of my grandchildren that used to actually use it for its purpose. The rest just used to bring partners home for a quick shag."

Harry snorted. It had become apparent that the Thomas Riddle of this reality like to swear quite a bit. He sat down on the large bed, crossing his legs. "How is this going to help me with my memories...?"

Riddle tapped several runes around the room. "I used to secretly copy the memories of all of the grandchildren in case they were ever kidnapped or had problems with their memories." He explained, moving towards the door. "The runes will now place all of your memories into your head. Enjoy."

Harry closed his eyes, feeling an immense amount of pressure gather in his head. With a scream of pain, his eyes opened to a plethora of different memories and experiences.

" _Harry come on, we're going to be late for Potions!"_

" _Harry, you promised to spend the day in Hogsmeade with me!"_

" _Oi, you little bollocks!"_

" _Harry–"_

" _Harry–"_

" _HARRY!"_

He ran out of the room, heading to the bathroom. After emptying the contents of his stomach, he stared into the mirror. He was Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily. Brother to Jasmine, Simon and Joy. He was…" He vomited again, thinking of the person he was. He was a bastard. He was a womaniser. Arrogant and quick to fight against enemies. He wasn't a nice person, but he was loved by his family. He wasn't that Harry Potter. He was Harry Potter the orphan. He wasn't going to be as arrogant as that Harry, but he knew that he had to be careful.

He knew one more thing, and that thing was truly worrying him. He walked into the kitchen, noticing his grandfather and grandmother. "There's no statute of secrecy?!"

Riddle shook his head. "At the end of the Second World War, the governments of magical Europe and muggle Europe combined for the first time since the Dark Ages. They decided early on that the best way for society to work was to be united. Magical beings and muggle beings share the world. We use our potions and magic for the betterment of humanity, and the muggles no longer persecute us. Disapparation has become a little harder to use in public. It's only used now by the police and army forces."

Harry nodded his head, kissing his grandmother's cheek. "Nana Viola." He smiled.

Viola Riddle stroked her grandson's cheek. "How do you feel, dear?" She asked politely.

"Better now that I have memories to go by." He chuckled weakly, holding onto her hand. He tried to keep himself calm. "All my memories weren't unlocked, were they?"

Riddle shook his head. "Not yet, Harry. It'll take a few weeks."

Harry nodded, pouring the tea for the three of them. He spent the afternoon chatting to his maternal grandparents, trying not to focus too much on the conflicting memories that were now filling his head.

 **A/N: Long ass Prologue, but I wanted Chapter 1 to deal with something important.**


	2. Fixing Broken Bonds

**Chapter 1 – Fixing Broken Bonds**

The first few weeks were slow for him, most of it was just sorting through the new memories. The Harry Potter that he had replaced had been a deplorable human being at times. He was raised by loving parents and never really acted out against them, but he had inherited his father's early arrogance, without the eventual maturation that came with it. He had a lot more friends than he had in his past life, and more sexual adventures than he had in the old world. Though one would've been more than he had in his old life. His taste in music and fashion were near the same, minus his alternate self's fondness of nearly everything being black.

The Potters were a nice family, and he had learnt that he was only child to have graduated Hogwarts, which meant he wouldn't see his siblings for another month. His grandfather Riddle was the Headmaster of Hogwarts for the thirty years, and was quickly becoming the best loved Headmaster since Cyrus Appleby in 1205. He got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom to change. He had his own little flat, which was set up in the heart of London. He dressed for the day in his new favourite things to wear. The jacket was a given, mostly because he felt badass in it. He fixed his slightly longer than average hair into a loose ponytail, checking his phone for messages.

He frowned a little as he thought about the one part of the new life he wasn't looking forward to. Being such a womaniser had resulted in Harry losing a lot of his old female friends, and a couple of the male ones. He saw the text message was from Hermione and reluctantly opened it.

 _Heard you didn't die. Come see J sometime._

J was his son; Jason. He hadn't met the boy yet and that was mostly out of disgust for what his counterpart had done. If there was one thing that the old Harry had done, it was his treatment of his child. He basically ignored Jason any chance he had, which was somewhat of an argument between him and his family.

He sent her a reply, hoping that she'd be ok with it.

 _I'll drop by during the afternoon if that's ok with you._

He went to the kitchen, making himself one of the microwave breakfasts that dominated his fridge. It seemed that Harry Potter wasn't one for cooking in this reality. He had been surprised to learn that Gringotts had been forced to go into the muggle financial world. Galleons were no longer used as a currency, instead the standard British Pound was the currency for all of the United Kingdom.

His phone went off as he finished the crappy breakfast muffin.

 _See you then_

He sighed, tapping his phone against his head as he grabbed his helmet. He had a few stops to make and he didn't want to be late to the Grangers. He knew a few things about Jason thanks to his mum. Jason was fifteen months old and looked more like his mother than he did Harry. He lived with his grandparents and mother, since Hermione didn't exactly have the money to move out of her parents' home. He stopped outside the local supermarket, heading inside.

The first thing he had to do was grab some fresh meat and vegetables. There was no way in hell he was going to live off those disgusting frozen meals. He grabbed some orange juice and milk, heading to the baby food section. He had the room to have Jason stay over, and he knew that his mother had wanted him to have a bigger influence in the boy's life.

He walked to the cashier and paid for his things, placing them in the bike's saddlebags. He returned to his apartment, placing them into the fridge. He didn't want to be an absent father, not after the life he had led in his life. He had loads of memories about his dad in this life, but they weren't _his_ memories.

He put the kettle on, sitting at the window ledge. He took a good look around the street. He wasn't too far from Piccadilly Circus, which he enjoyed. The apartment was moderate sized and held two bedrooms, which would be handy whenever Hermione would let Jason stay over. He poured himself a cup of tea, sitting at the window to drink it. He didn't think a lot about his old reality. Death told him the day was won, but not how many of his friends had died. He picked up his ringing phone, answering the call. "Harry speaking."

" _Harry, it's Hermione."_ Her voice had his breath catching in his throat. It wasn't any different than her counterpart's, but he hadn't realised how much he missed it.

"Hey. Is everything ok?" He asked softly.

" _Yeah. My mother just wants to know if you're coming for dinner, or earlier."_ Hermione explained.

Harry smiled weakly. "I'll be there for as long as I'm allowed, Hermione. If that includes dinner, then I won't say no." He chuckled softly. "Hey, can we talk privately later? I just want to talk to you about something important."

There was a long silence after he said it. _"Ok."_ Was her only reply before she cut the phone call.

He sighed once the call ended, finishing his tea. He grabbed his keys and helmet, heading out to his bike. He grabbed his leather gloves from the saddlebags, bringing the beast to life before turning towards the right roads. Without the ability to apparate it was taking longer for him to arrive places. To drive from his flat to his parents took him three hours. It was five to head to his grandparents and nearly nine hours if he wanted to head anywhere near Scotland, let alone Hogwarts.

The Grangers thankfully lived not too far from him, on the outskirts of London. He stopped outside the house, taking a deep breath. He hadn't been as nervous as anything as he was about knocking on her door. He put the helmet into the saddlebags, as well as his gloves. He gently knocked on the door, trying not to panic.

All nervousness seemed to melt away as he saw her. She looked a little different than the Hermione he remembered, but she was still Hermione Granger. Her hair was in a pixie cut, which made her seem more mature than her age. Her hips were a little wider, but that was from giving birth. She looked tranquil and happy. Jason hung on her hip, smiling at him.

 **-ABL-**

Hermione smiled the second she opened the door to him. He had his stupid jacket on, though that was as much a part of Harry as his trademark grin and eyes. His eyes weren't glued on her, but instead on the small boy that was currently being held against her hip. She had never seen him focus on Jason before. "Come on in, before he gets fussy."

Harry nodded, closing the door behind him. He bit his lip, watching her carefully. After a moment of calming himself he gently took the boy from her arms. "And how's my little buddy?" He asked, holding the boy the way his mother had moments ago.

Hermione hid the look of shock from her face. There was definitely something going on with Harry. He had _never_ been the one to initiate any form of contact with their son. She always had to force him to hold Jason, or do any form of parenting to the boy. "Your mum told me that you had a scare after you woke up." She said softly.

"A scare is putting it mildly." Harry smirked, taking a good look at Jason. The boy definitely took after his mother. He had Hermione's hair colour and unfortunately for the lad, his father's hairstyle. His face was an almost perfect clone of Hermione's, except for his chin and brow structure, they were purely his own. "I was terrified, Mione. I…I don't know what the hell I was thinking." He admitted. "It was stupid to try and do what I did…"

Hermione smiled as he gave Jason's forehead a gentle kiss, leading him into the kitchen. "Mum's got the day off, so Dad won't be here until later." She watched his face relax at that. She knew her father had…taken issue with the fact that Harry wasn't as active in Jason's life as he should have been, but she could never really reign Harry in, he was too much of a free spirit for that.

Harry sat Jason in his highchair, playing with his hands as Hermione spoke to him. "That's fine, I'm actually hoping to speak to him when he gets in." He nodded his head to Mrs Granger. "Emma, how have you been?" He asked politely.

Emma Granger raised an eyebrow towards her daughter. Was this young man the same one who had dumped her daughter when she had announced her pregnancy? He seemed to be focused on Jason more than she had ever seen him, and that was annoying her. The little shit couldn't just decide whenever he wanted to be part of his son's life. "I'm fine, Harry. And you? We had heard that you had lost all brain function. I don't mean to be rude, but how could you be…normal?"

Harry gulped. They hadn't chosen a cover story yet. He didn't really know what to say to the women, though his heart was telling him to be honest to them. "Well, that's why I wanted to wait on Dan. I want to just tell the story one time…"

Emma nodded her head. "Ok." She frowned at him. "What's the sudden interest in Jason?" She asked bluntly. She could hear the sound of Hermione sucking in air behind her, but she didn't care. "I don't mean to offend you Harry, but you've never exactly been a huge part of his life."

Harry smiled sadly. "I know I haven't." His eyes took on an extremely sad look. "I…I nearly died, Emma. That sort of thing doesn't let you remain the same. I woke up, and all I could think about was how much of an arse I've been to Hermione…and to Jason." He felt tears come to his eyes. He didn't know why he crying. It could've been because he was slowly becoming a mix of himself and his counterpart, with the best of both of them, or it could just be the possibility that the old Hermione had died in the final battle, without finding her parents, without anyone beside her. "And I hate myself for that." He sniffled, picking Jason up to cuddle him. "And I want to be a better father."

Emma felt terrible for saying it now. It was obvious that his brush with death had finally matured the idiot to a degree. She watched Hermione walk over and give him a small hug. Her daughter had always held a flame for the boy, and she never really understood it. He had the bad boy image that some women liked, but to her, he was just a bit of a prat. "Harry, I'm sorry…" She finally said, trying to be as polite as possible with the young man.

"You had every right to say it, Emma." Harry wiped his eyes, feeling Jason's hand on his hair. "Ow!" He chuckled. "My little cheeky monkey." He gently got the boy's hands from his hair. "Is that your way of telling me I need a haircut?" He teased, kissing the boy's forehead again. "I want to be a better father, I truly do. Like my own father, and my grandfathers. I want to be a better man." He smiled softly at the little boy in his arms, holding him close to him.

Hermione smiled at him. "Harry, that was beautiful." She sat beside him, watching Jason's smile widen as his father starting gently throwing and catching him. She hated it when her father played that game, and she was going to say something, until she saw the matching smile on Harry's face. "Be careful." She bit her lip.

Harry caught Jason, smiling at him. "I wouldn't let him fall, don't worry." He sat the boy on his lap, watching the Granger ladies. He heard a car pull up after a couple of hours of small talk and playing with Jason. He stood up, removing his jacket as Dan walked in.

"What a day! I'm telling you if one more person thinks that magic can solve all dental problems I'm going to shout my head–" Dan stopped talking when he caught sight of Harry. "I thought he was a vegetable?" He asked. "I was told he was brain dead…not that there was much of a brain to lose."

Harry smirked. "Dan, always a pleasure." He walked over to him, holding out his hand.

Dan raised an eyebrow, walking to the kitchen. "Ok, what's the biker wannabe doing here?" He asked his daughter.

"He said he wanted to see Jason. And he wants to talk to us." Hermione replied.

Harry sat back down, gulping a little. "I suppose I should start by saying, we should probably have a lot of alcohol with us right now." He chuckled weakly. "Ok…I'm not the same Harry Potter."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Harry, a near death experience would change anyone–"

"No." Harry interrupted her. "I'm literally not the same Harry Potter." He sighed. "I…" He adjusted Jason, who was starting to wriggle around to get onto the table. "I'm from a different reality." He said bluntly. "One where Hermione and I were never a couple. In that reality, my grandfather was the Dark Lord, the magical and muggle worlds were separate and I'm an orphan." He watched Hermione's analytical brain go into overdrive. "My family are special though. We hold the blood of an ancient family in our blood. The Peverell Family was famous for their…well their ability to cheat death." He sighed. "Or trick him anyway. They were the basis of a magical story. The Tale of the Three Brothers."

Hermione gasped. "Those Peverells are your ancestors?"

"I'm from Ignotus' line. The holders of the Cloak of Invisibility. Granddad Tom is from the line of Cadmus, who held the Resurrection Stone." Harry sighed. "Because of this…when I died fighting the Dark Lord of my world, Death offered me a second chance. This was at the same time that this Harry was brain dead. My grandfather ended up making a deal with Death. For the power of the wand he'd bring the soul of Harry Potter back." He smirked. "He just didn't mention which one."

Hermione bit her lip. "So, my son's father is dead...?"

"Yes and no." Harry responded, kissing Jason's hand. "I have nearly all of his memories. I'll have 99% of them when my grandfather finishes helping me out. But I personally don't like how I treated you, or J." He smiled sadly. He couldn't look into her eyes, not with the pain he felt. "I'm a different person. I like to think I'm the best of your Harry and my Harry. Someone who appreciates his son." He kissed Jason's forehead. "And well, I'm also someone who remembers our days in Hogwarts." He turned slightly red at the memories.

Hermione's blush matched his. "Innocent ears." She warned him.

Harry smiled. "I don't want to be the Harry Potter that you remember. Don't get me wrong, I love his confidence, and his choice in jackets." He picked up Jason, placing him in the highchair once more. "I want to get a car, so Jason can come over to my house sometimes. I know there's not a huge chance of us being together, but to even repair our friendship would make me happy." He watched her father. "I owe you an apology, Dan. You've been there for Hermione and Jason where I should've been. And I thank you for this."

Dan watched the young man carefully. "Ok, so if I'm getting this right, you're some sort of dimensional traveller and you took over this idiot's body?"

"In a sense…" Harry nodded, sighing softly. "I've all of Harry's memories, and I want to prove that I'm going to be a changed man, on both sides." He turned his head to look at Jason. "I have every memory that he had about Jason, and I think it's terrible how he treated his son, and how he treated Hermione…"

Dan shook his head. "Never thought I'd see the day," He chuckled weakly. "But I actually agree with the little shit." He slapped the boy's shoulder, walking over to his grandson. "As for him staying with you sometimes, we'll talk about that when you have something with four wheels, four doors and goes less than 60mph!"

 **-ABL-**

After a few hours with the Grangers and some time talking to Hermione privately about everything that had happened between them in his reality and in the new reality, giving her the entire story of his life and what had happened between them. It had been awkward for him to admit that they weren't a couple in his reality, and that the most intimate thing they'd done was a kiss on the cheek after a slow dance. Hermione had found that part immensely entertaining, and spoke to him about how their relationship had progressed in his new life.

It amazed him how easily they found a comfortable way to talk again. He rested his head against the wall outside her home, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. "So, your mum caught us?"

Hermione nodded. "It wasn't too embarrassing, but well…we were trying some kinky things." She blushed a little, holding onto her beer. She didn't drink a lot, but it was a nice summer's day and it just felt right. "So, are you with anyone right now?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've still a couple of months' worth of shit to get into my head." He admitted, finishing his coffee. "It's strange. I've been here three weeks now, and I haven't a clue what to do. I know that I was deputised into the Auror department of the police, but they suspended that after the 'incident'. I've people who knew me for years asking me to head out for a night, but I don't trust myself to be the 'right' Harry until I've all my memories."

Hermione smiled. "Sounds like you've a lot of stuff to work out." She finished her beer, noticing some kids flying around. "I can't imagine a world without magic being public. It must be extremely lonely."

"It was." Harry grinned, watching a couple of the children tossing a Quaffle around to each other. "It was extremely annoying. There was a class of bigots who treated non-magicals as nothing more than cattle. Voldemort, the 'evil Tom Riddle', he and his followers would kill muggles indiscriminately."

"Sounds like Dumbledore." Hermione admitted. "You probably don't know much of the history, do you?"

"I know he's apparently the evil one here…" Harry sighed.

Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging the tension away. "He was English born a hundred and so years ago, before the reformations. His sister had been attacked by muggles, which caused his father to retaliate. At the age of eighteen, he ended up joining Gellert Grindelwald. After Grindelwald's death at the end of World War 2, Dumbledore managed to escape and start his own campaign of terror. That's what caused the Reformations of Magic, the unifying force between non-magicals and magicals." She continued massaging his shoulders, watching his face. "Are you ok?"

Harry nodded, closing his eyes. "In my world, he was the Leader of the Light. My mentor, almost like my grandfather." He sighed sadly, thinking of how many people had died because of Dumbledore. "But at the same time, he was a secretive man, to the point that there are about twenty or so personal deaths that he was responsible for, just by sitting on the fence…" He let out a soft groan as she reached a certain pressure spot. "You're good with your hands."

"I should be, I spent enough years doing this for you after fights or Quidditch matches." Hermione chuckled, wrapping her arms around him. "I supposed I've just always had a soft spot for you."

Harry smiled weakly. He knew how much the other Harry manipulated Hermione's feelings for him to his advantage, and that hurt him a lot. He turned his head, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "What would I do without ya?"

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "It must be interesting, having two sets of memories."

"It's really not." Harry sighed. "I have memories of me and you in _my_ third year, and they completely clash with the new memories I have of your third year." He pulled her around to his lap. "Like how we started dating in that year. In my old life, that was a hard year for us. We fought, _a lot_ over something stupid." He smiled sadly. "And I never apologised to her about it…" He looked down. "And when Death told me she fell…I hope she's somewhere happy, kicking Dumbledore's ass…"

Hermione kissed his cheek. "I'm sure she is. Granger women are notoriously tough."

Harry chuckled. "Don't I know it…" He wrapped his arms around her. "Your dad's looking at us from the window." He whispered.

Hermione snorted. "I'm sure I'll have a lecture coming at me soon about 'being careful around him'." She stood up, helping him up. "Can you tell me something? Did he truly love me…?"

Harry noticed the look in her eye. He sighed. "He loved how important you made him feel, but I don't think he was mature enough to appreciate how important you were to his life." He kissed her cheek. "But I can you tell something, be it this life or my old one, you're important to my life." He put his helmet on. "And you're one of the sexiest women I've ever known when you're angry." He hopped onto his bike, waving at her.

Hermione watched him leave, smiling as he did. He was a different Harry Potter, but she was happy about that. She walked inside, tucking Jason into bed before retiring into her own room. She glanced a picture of the two of them from years ago. "I think you've changed for the better, Harry."

 **-ABL-**

The drive back to his flat reminded him of everything he had ever wanted in life. He turned the corner, stopping outside his flat. He noticed two people instantly. Ron Weasley hadn't changed much from his counterpart, but he definitely looked better. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to bring you for a night out." Ron grinned. "The legendary warrior who went up against Dumbledore."

"And nearly died in the process." Harry frowned. "My parents were told to expect my death…" He placed the helmet on the handlebars of the bike. "Listen, I'm not really up for drinking lately. I was at the Grangers, so I'm just going to crash for the night."

Ron smirked at him. "Went to see the little lad, eh?" He asked softly. "Look, you've been out of hospital nearly a month and you've been hiding from us. The Weird Sisters are playing the Crystal Ball tonight, so we're going."

Harry sighed. He clenched his fist. "Let me get changed…come on in." He opened the door to the apartment, heading to his bedroom. "How have you been?"

"Busy." Ron admitted. "I'm working with the old Keeper from the Cannons, but he's really archaic when it comes to his formations." He opened two beers from the fridge. "What the fucks with all the food? You thinking about burning this place down by cooking?" He chuckled.

Harry smirked, taking a beer from him. "Something like that. Trying to get my life together after what happened." He took a sip of the beer, glancing out the window. "You should pick up the new book from the English National League." He sighed softly. "And how's Gin?"

"She's good. Her and Dean are in Ireland for the weekend. I think she's trying to keep her mind off the fact that Bill's on the frontlines again." Ron smiled sadly. "I don't know why the crazy bastard insists on fighting."

Harry nodded, finishing his beer. He changed into one of his favourite shirts and a matching pair of slacks. "Come on, we could both use a good walk." He chuckled, leading him out the door. "I used to think that Bill had the right idea." He smirked to himself. "Fight on the frontlines. Being in the thick of it…"

"And now?" Ron asked curiously.

"Now, I just want to be a perfect father and a better person all around." Harry admitted, taking in the fresh air. "I was a bastard to a lot of people, mate. Your family included." He sighed. "Between what happened between Ginny and I, and then the fight I had with Bill about France…I feel like a piece of fucking shit."

"It's just who you are, Harry." Ron shrugged. "We've been mates since we were five. I know what you're like." He smiled softly.

Harry shrugged. "It's not who I want to be anymore. I want to be someone my son can be proud of." He said softly. "Someone…I'm proud of." He wished he had his Ron and Hermione back…he needed them more than ever. He stopped outside the pub, smirking. "Are you sure we'll get in? Ol' Rosy isn't our biggest fan."

Ron smirked a little. "Don't worry." He walked in with him, heading to the bar. He stopped at the bar with him. "We're going to need a lot of alcohol." He said simply.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Two shots of vodka, two old fashions, with burnt citrus rinds and two of your best pale ales." He placed his credit card on the table.

The bartender raised his eyebrow. "You're both barred." He reminded him. "Even if you did nearly die."

Harry clenched his jaw. "Listen…I just want to have a drink with a friend. Rosie can kick us out after we're finished."

The bartender shook his head. "Can't do it, lads. You still owe Rosie a new pool table and dart board."

Harry sighed. "What's our bill?" He asked.

"£1,500 for the pool table. And another £200 for me dartboard!" A feminine voice broke into the conversation. "I don't really want to bar you, kid, but you're just bad for fucking business." Rosmerta crossed her arms. "And to top it all off, you stormed off to fucking POLAND to try and kill Dumbledore?!" She shook her head at the young man. "Honestly Harry, you've a fucking child to think of!"

Harry winced at her tone. "I know, Rosie…" He walked over to her, handing her the credit card. "Take the £1,800 for the table and dartboard, the rest is my way of apologising." He whispered. "And then could we please have two vodka shots, two old fashions with burned citrus and two of your best pale ales?" He asked softly.

Rosie frowned. "You look different sweetheart." She stroked his cheek. "Any acting the bollocks, and I'm going to sling you over this bar and shove a pint glass up your arse!" She slapped his cheek affectionately. "And tell your granddad his order came in." She chuckled.

Ron slapped his back. "Good thing she has a soft spot for the Headmaster."

Harry chuckled, taking one of the shots. "To new beginnings."

"And to old friends." Ron grinned, downing a shot with him. "So," He sat at a table with him. "Hermione called me today. Told me some story about you." He chuckled. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Honestly?" Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I've screwed over so many people in this life that I'm really worried about people knowing." He took a sip of the ale. "She gave you the run down about my old life?"

"Yeah." Ron laughed. "I thought you were fucked in this life, but you really can't catch a break." He downed his shot. "I know that you have my old friend's memories, and that's good enough for me. We've been mates for years, Harry. I'm not abandoning you. Never!"

Harry smiled. "Thanks mate. Now enough of that sappy shit," He downed his drink, whistling to Rosie. "Two more of everything. We're celebrating!"

"What? That your balls finally dropped?" Rosie smirked at him.

"You should know that." Ron and Harry cheekily grinned at her.

"Watch it!" Rosie snapped.

 **A/N: So just some differences between what I call the 'Prime' Characters and their New Dimension Characters.**

 **New Dimension Harry (Deceased technically): Womanising arsehole with a habit of thinking with his fists instead of his head. Cocky about his abilities, but had a large knowledge of offensive and illusionist magic.**

 **New Dimension Hermione: Quieter than her Prime counterpart, Hermione is loyal to Harry to the point of almost being subservient to anything he requests. She is a doting mother to their son Jason, and holds onto the hope that her Harry will change his ways.**

 **New Dimension Voldemort: The distinguished Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Thomas Marvolo Riddle rose to prominence after helping the Allied Forces during the Grindelwald Campaign. A loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather to his family, Thomas Riddle is known to the community as the 'Living Fighter' for his fondness of animated transfiguration style of duelling.**

 **New Dimension Ron: Harry's childhood best friend and the reserve Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Ron's life compared to his Prime Counterpart is quite different. His father's work on magical/muggle history allowed the family to live comfortably in Godric's Hollow. He and Harry gained a reputation during their teen years for wild nights out and their numerous girlfriends.**

 **I'll do some more as the characters appear in future chapters.**


	3. His Angel

**Chapter 2 – His Angel**

Harry frowned to himself as he watched the tele. Apparently, the battle against Dumbledore on the front lines had been evacuated after Dumbledore released an army of Dementors and Giants to attack the Allied forces. He held his head in his hands, trying to keep himself calm. Part of him just wanted to take Hermione, Jason and his family and run to another country, but he knew he couldn't do that. Running away just wasn't in his nature, no matter the reality he was living in. Part of him was disgusted to see what Dumbledore was. His mind couldn't help but drift back to the days when he knew Dumbledore, the kind Dumbledore. Another part of him had realised that his Dumbledore hadn't been an angel either. The man had kept too much to himself, which caused too many people to die. So many could have survived, if only Dumbledore hadn't been so damned secretive.

He picked up the phone immediately, gritting his teeth. "Is Bill ok?!" He shouted into the receiver.

" _He's fine, Harry."_ Ron responded. _"His regiment is on their way back to England. They've gotten a few casualties, but Bill's fine."_

Harry let out the breath he had been holding. That was good. "Thank fuck for that…" He chuckled weakly. "Sounds like things are going to be intense for the next few days. I better go anyway. I'm back in work today."

" _Good luck."_ Ron smirked.

Harry dressed for the day in his old uniform. The police had seen fit to issue Aurors with their own unique form of the standard 'bobby' uniform. It was the same navy colour as the rest of the constabulary, but with the old Auror shield on the left breast pocket and the old motto from the police. The main reason Harry had joined the Junior Auror Corps instead of completing his final year of Hogwarts was his own choice. Joining at the age of sixteen allowed him to become a true fighter for their country. A true protector. He had the opportunity to gain a footing that would have taken him years to reach otherwise. He couldn't help but agree with the decision that his counterpart had made. Being an Auror in a time of war was a better use of time instead of listening to teachers prattle on about crap.

He stared at himself for a moment. "You can do this. You've all your memories back. Just be careful…and don't piss anyone off…"

He stepped outside, turning the corner. The job wasn't too far away and it'd be nice to actually walk around for a change. He was glad that the Aurors didn't have to wear those stupid hats that the muggle coppers did. He wouldn't look good in one anyway. He stopped outside his favourite coffee shop, picking up a flat white and a chocolate sprinkled donut. The neighbours were happy to see their favourite Auror up and around again, especially now that he was back in uniform. He turned the corner, entering the station near Piccadilly.

"Potter! MY OFFICE, NOW!" Chief Auror Tonks shouted from the top of his lungs.

"Yes sir." Harry sighed to himself. It was too much to actually ask for his boss to give him a break. He entered the office, taking the seat opposite his boss. "Auror Potter, reporting back to work, sir."

Ted Tonks frowned at the young man in front of him. "No. You're no longer Auror Potter." He snapped at him. "For the next month, you're Desk Sargent Potter. Got it?!"

Harry grit his teeth. "With all due respect, sir." He spoke respectfully. "You need me on the beat. You're five men short until the lads get back and debriefed. What I did was reckless—"

"It was more than reckless!" Ted cut him off. "It was fucking irresponsible, and made us look like buffoons to every other Auror Corps in the goddamn Allied Forces! You are one of the best Aurors I've seen in the last few years, kid. Better than your old man when he was part of the Corps, but your arrogance and pig-headedness has endangered not only you, but nearly all your partners. Not to mention your sexual encounters with both Aurors and muggle police officers!"

Harry gulped. He really wanted to kill the original Harry for sleeping with so many women. It was really starting to kick him in the ass. "S-Sir, I swear—"

"Shut it!" Ted cut him off again. "I know what you and my daughter were doing. Now, I'm not a petty person, Potter. I'll give you one more chance. You and Parkinson are going to investigate the rumours of a pro-Dumbledore Rally being held in Godric's Hollow." He tossed a badge at him. "Your licence to apparate has been restored." He frowned at him. "Don't fuck it up again."

"Understood, sir." Harry took the badge, standing up. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted." Ted sighed.

"I'm sorry." Harry whispered. "I was a bastard, but I'm trying to be better."

"Good." Ted rubbed his forehead. "For what's it worth, I'm glad to see you alive." He gave him a weak smile. "Now fuck off and do your job."

Harry smirked. "Yes sir!"

 **-ABL-**

Pansy Parkinson wasn't in the mood for Potter's humour today. She woke up to a visit from her 'Auntie Flo', so she was already pissed off, tired and dying for the day to end. She sat in the undercover cruiser with him, tapping the window as they glanced at some dingy little warehouse. "What's the intel say?"

"Seven walls in a half mile radius have the Deathly Hallows Symbol painted on them. Apparently, that's the first sign of an upcoming rally." Harry took a sip of his coffee, fixing his glasses in place. "There's also reports of some people wearing the Shadow Phoenix symbol on t-shirts."

"Sounds like it's just a bunch of punk kids acting the goat." Pansy replied crankily.

"Could be." He shrugged, taking out a box of donuts. "Want one?"

"Can you stop being a cliché and actually do your job?" Pansy snapped out. Merlin help her, she did want a donut, but she wasn't in the mood of listening to Potter do cop jokes.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Wow. Crabby much?" He finished his coffee. "Just take a donut and we can spend the day staring at a bunch of angsty kids."

Pansy smirked. "So, what was it like being brain dead?" She asked bluntly.

"Like being drunk, only with a bigger hangover." Harry replied coldly. "Are you on your period? Or are you just being a bitch for the sake of it?"

Pansy flushed red. "Shut. Up."

Harry chuckled. "Auntie Flo it is." He opened the donuts. "Trust me, it'll help."

Pansy took a donut, taking a large bite. "Still a misogynist pig I see."

"Trying not to be." Harry replied. "I was being truthful. Something sweet always helped Hermione."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Your ex? When did you ever give a fuck about her?"

Harry frowned. "Look, I may not have been the best boyfriend, but dying does a lot for a person. I don't want to be that pig anymore. I want to be someone that my son is proud of…and his mother…"

Pansy stared at him. "Ok." She finished her donut. "This is getting us nowhere." She turned back, grabbing a bag from the backseat. She changed into a black grunge hoody and a short skirt. "I'm going in."

Harry watched her. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "We need proof." She pointed out, walking out of the car. "Screw you, Mike! You don't get to tell me what to do you piece of fucking shit. Fuck you! Fuck your mother! Fuck your dog!" She stormed away from him, heading into the warehouse/club.

"That woman is fucking insane." He waited a moment before booting in after her.

 **-ABL-**

The club was loud, filled with annoying teenage school ditchers and loads of underage drinking. Harry hadn't missed doing things like this when he was a kid. His old life in his reality had a lot of teenage drinking. Abused houses can lead to such things after all, but he didn't have to remember that right now. He made his way over to Pansy, gripping her arm tightly. "For your information, my mother is a saint and my dog is dead." He smirked.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Fuck off Mike. I want to be here. Screw you and the Allies. Dumbledore for life!" She shouted out, earning a round of cheers. "Let's be honest, the fucking muggles have kept us all down for so long. Our world was once ours, without muggles telling us what to do! We could use Disapparation whenever we fucking wanted to! We could do whatever we wanted to those dumb fucks and just obliviate them after! Now, we live under their fucking rules."

Harry couldn't help but feel impressed. Pansy could certainly play the role. He glanced behind her, noticing that someone was paying close attention to her performance. Krum. He didn't know what Viktor Krum was like in this reality, but it would make sense for an Eastern European to be a member of the Shadow Phoenix Order. He gave Pansy an apologetic look before slapping her as hard as he could. "Shut your whore mouth and get back in the fucking car, Cindy!"

Pansy wanted to disembowel him there and then, but she knew that he was only playing the part that she had set up. "Go die in a car crash, prick!" She slapped him as hard she could, skulking off in the direction he slapped her. It had been a smart move, because she instantly spotted someone of interest. "Someone get this prick out of here. His dad's a fucking soldier in the front lines."

Harry was quickly exited from the building. He sat in the car, rubbing his cheek from where Pansy had slapped him. He took out a donut, driving around the corner. He waited in the car for an hour, until he watched Pansy enter the car. "That was some slap."

"Same." Pansy healed his jaw. "Good job." She smirked, robbing the last donut from the box. "Viktor Krum. This is bigger than we expected. ECD have been tracking him for months."

"What the fuck does Extreme Crimes want with Krum?" Harry asked curiously.

"Krum's one of the biggest kingpins in Dumbledore's operation." Pansy frowned. "Rumour has it, he's the one who enslaved the Veela in Bulgaria and started the sex slavery trade in most of Dumbledore's territories." She felt her blood boil at that. "He's also a scumbag who peddles drugs to kids and gets them addicted to make them sex slaves…"

Harry noticed her anger. "Bastard…" Why was everyone he considered an ally now a piece of shit? Hell, Pansy Parkinson was an ally for him now. It was an odd feeling. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get him."

Pansy nodded. "We will. I've been asked to come to their rally tonight in Surrey." She grinned. "Come on, we'll go and give a report to the Chief. Might even keep you out of the doghouse."

Harry chuckled. "Hopefully." He fastened his seatbelt. "You fuck your boss's daughter one time."

"You were caught fucking her on his desk." Pansy pointed out.

"Details." Harry waved her off. "Same thing happened when I was sixteen with Hermione." He chuckled weakly. "Her dad beat the shit out of me."

Pansy stared at him in disbelief. "How many women have you slept with?"

"Thirty-five." Harry responded immediately.

Pansy blanched at that. "And you only have one baby?"

"That I know of." Harry chuckled weakly. "Hopefully only the one. I always made sure I was safe after J was born."

Pansy shrugged. "I'd love to have a child, but my career is only beginning."

Harry nodded. "Hermione put her education on hold because of J, so I can understand that." He smiled sadly. "I should take her out to dinner. It's been too long since she actually had a night out."

Pansy smirked. "I think you should be buying that girl some major jewellery for everything she's ever done for you." She rested her head as Harry drove. "Can I ask you something personal, Potter? How can you go around sleeping with any woman when there's someone who actually loves you?"

Harry frowned. "Honestly? A month or so ago I would have said I don't care." He turned the corner, gripping the steering wheel. _"Focus your thoughts. No slipping up."_ He took a calming breath. "But now…? I feel like the biggest scumbag in the world. Hermione is probably the greatest person in the world. She gave up so much to be a proper mother to our son, and all I did was treat her like a piece of shit. I'll never forgive myself for doing that to her."

Pansy nodded. "Sounds like being at death's door finally fixed that ego of yours." She popped the sirens, staring at the graffiti artists on the corner. "Hey, stop!" She burst out of the car, chasing after the two of them.

Harry rolled his eyes, turning another corner. He put his wand out the wand. "Aquamenti! Glacius!" He watched with some glee as the two artists slipped on the ice. "What's with the Phoenix, boys?"

The first artist glared at him, standing to his feet carefully. "We've every right to freely express our political affiliation, pig."

Harry got out of the car. "And that nice business owner's wall? Is that a member of the Shadow Phoenix Order?"

The second artist gave a small snort when he said that. "We were just reminding people that a good organisation exists that cares about our magical brethren." He cracked his knuckles. "So, don't oppress us, pig."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've been called worse by ex-girlfriends." He opened his book, writing them both a ticket for vandalism. As soon as they took them, the tickets melded into their skin. "Those will bring you to a police station tomorrow morning at nine am. Your parents will be brought with you, so be very careful if you try and tamper with them."

The two teens threw him a fierce glare, stomping off in a huff.

Pansy caught up with him, panting heavily. "You could have picked me up first…"

Harry smiled. "Where's the fun in that?"

 **-ABL-**

Thomas sat in the Headmaster's Office, rubbing his forehead as another headache began forming. The school year was done and he had some time off to relax with family and process everything that had happened in the last couple of months, but he didn't really know where to begin. The fact that his grandson was back had increased his spirits immensely, even more so after he realised that the combined memories of the new Harry and his old Harry had created his ideal grandson. Harry had matured and tried to fix everything that had been wrong with his old life. He knew it was long overdue for Harry to take control of his life, though, it wasn't Harry that was causing his headache.

Before him lay the files on the school, scattered and in no particular order. He had been racking his brain for answers for the ultimate conundrum; how to defeat Albus Dumbledore. He had once considered the old man one of his closest allies, though that been before the war…before he finished off Grindelwald. He thought he had been doing the world a service, after all, he had been prophesied that he alone would be the one to kill Grindelwald. Looking back, it was obvious that Dumbledore had simply wanted to make him into a scapegoat.

He closed the files, staring over at the perch where his owl Artemis stood alert. "I think you and I need a nice long vacation this year, old boy." Opening his desk, he tossed a couple of owl treats towards the majestic barn owl. A smile came over his face as the owl flew up and captured the treats quickly. He had adored the owl ever since Harry purchased it for him a couple of years ago. Owls had quickly fell out of use when the muggle and magical worlds combined, but Harry understood the beauty of the owls. Owls were more than just animals or pets, they were companions for life. True familiars. Loyal and protective, just like him.

Thomas stood from his chair, glancing out at the lights of the boats as the students all departed for the summer. He fixed his coat on, holding out his arm for Artemis to perch on. "I'm thinking Spain this summer." He locked the door with several spells, activating the rune cluster that would allow the portraits to contact him if anyone tried to break into the school over the summer.

Artemis let out a bark of disagreement.

"Who said I was paying for your airline ticket?" He poked the owl's stomach gently. "You're starting to put on a few pounds, old boy."

Artemis flew off his arm, heading through of the windows.

"Drama queen!" Thomas shouted after it. He stood at the main doors, smiling to himself. "Another year done, Minnie."

"I've told you multiple times never to refer to me by that name, Tom." Minerva frowned.

Thomas chuckled. "Just it makes you so flustered, it's fun." He threw her a devilish grin. "Have a good summer, old friend."

"And the same to you." Minerva smiled. "Give that grandson of yours a good smack behind the ear for worrying us all so much."

Thomas nodded his head. "I'll make sure to give him your love." He walked to the gates, stepping foot into Hogsmeade Village a few minutes later. He stopped off at the Hog's Head Inn, frowning at the derelict building with a sense of sadness. "We'll get him one day, Abeforth…for you, and for Ariana." He whispered, conjuring a bouquet of roses for his old friends.

Many had forgotten about Abeforth and Ariana Dumbledore. After all, they had been rather low-key victims compared to the slaughters of Dumbledore's history. He still remembered the day he had seen the scenes from Hogsmeade. The death of Abeforth by his own brother's hand. The cries of anguish that came from their sister. The cold look on Dumbledore's face as he killed the poor girl. It sickened him to the core. Of course, people forgot all about the travesty of Hogsmeade after Dumbledore killed the Prime Minister of Italy and took the country over. He never forgot. Ariana, the dear old woman who would give him advice on love. Her shaking hands as she tried to control her magic. Abeforth and his no nonsense approach to spellcasting. They were the forgotten ones. The ones no history book would mention.

History didn't want to remember them. After all, pawns had to be sacrificed to take the bishops and knights. He would ensure that their history survived. He wouldn't let the good people in the world with the name Dumbledore to be sullied because of one man. "We'll get him…"

With a twist in his step, Thomas apparated back to his home, to think of happier times.

 **-ABL-**

Stepping into his apartment, Harry tossed his jacket onto the nearest chair that he could see. Auror work wasn't something he was used to, no matter how many memories he had in his head. He remembered signing up at the age of sixteen to the Youth Corps, and being drafted a year later into the Emergency Corps, but those were memories, and memories wouldn't remind him of the pain he suffered or the broken bones he had endured during his training.

He stepped into the kitchen, seeing a message on his landline. He clicked the button, cracking open a bottle of ale from the fridge.

" _Hey Harry, it's Hermione. Mum and Dad were just wondering if you wanted to stop by for dinner. We heard you were reinstated today and I just wanted to see how you were dealing with a job you don't really remember. We're eating at seven if you decide to join us."_

Harry glanced at the clock. 6:30pm. He cracked his neck, changing into some fresh clothes and freshening his skin with a couple of low powered scourging spells to remove the sweat and grime. He fixed his cuffs in place as he stepped out onto the balcony of his flat. With a quick crack, he was outside the Grangers house. He rang the doorbell, greeted immediately by the grin of one Hermione Granger. "Hey beautiful."

"Hey yourself." Hermione blushed, adjusting J on her hip.

"I was talking to your mother." Harry teased, taking their son into his arms. "And how's my little man?" He grinned, kissing the boy's cheeks.

"Keep your eyes off my wife, Potter!" Dan shouted from the living room. "Auror or not, I'll kick your arse!"

Harry smirked to himself, walking into the sitting room. "Hear that, buddy?" He asked Jason, taking a seat on one of the armchairs. "Your granddad Dan thinks he stands a chance against a trained Auror. Isn't he funny?"

Dan raised an eyebrow. "I'll make that boy fatherless if you try and test me, Potter." He warned him.

Harry chuckled. "Never change, Dan. Your constant hatred of me is the only thing that keeps me going." He sarcastically replied, cuddling Jason close to him. "In all honesty, I think I'd win."

Dan grinned slightly. "After dinner. Me, you, three-minute round of bare knuckle boxing. Think you can handle me?"

Harry returned the grin with gusto. "You bet your ass I can." He glanced down at Jason. "Granddad Dan's going to need a healer."

Dan chose not to comment. Instead, he took Jason into his arms for a moment. "We'll have to get you fixed for a suit. Can't have you going to your daddy's funeral without a suit, can we?" He cooed softly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the behaviour of the two men. "I swear to god, if Jason ends up acting like them, I'm going to personally castrate the two of them." She said in a huff, mixing the salt and pepper into the gravy. "How do you put up with that man?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Emma replied innocently, setting the table. "Hermione," She sighed softly. "Are you sure about just letting Harry back into Jason's life so easily? After all, he's not really the Harry who got you pregnant."

Hermione frowned. "No, he's not." She whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. "He's a better man than Harry. He's the Harry Jason deserved to have in his life from the start. He's the Harry I deserved to have. One that would have been there for me during the pregnancy instead of fucking Susan 'Double Ds' Bones while I was barely able to function…" She choked out a sob. "I want to make sure he is who I think he is, then I'll know if he's able to be around Jason."

Emma hugged her daughter. Reopening old wounds wasn't the most tactful thing for her to do, but she had to be sure that Hermione wasn't pining for the fool who missed out on his son's birth for a Quidditch match. She held her close, soothing her before the men walked in. "Sometimes I forget just how fragile you are when it comes to love."

Hermione sniffled. "I am not." She weakly protested.

Emma handed her daughter the wand from the table. "Freshen yourself up. No one likes a puffy eyed girl."

Hermione used a quick cooling spell on her eyelids, wiping away the last of the tears. She kissed her mother's cheek, finishing up the gravy. "Boys! Dinner's ready!" She called into the sitting room. "And you better play nice. I have a carving knife in here!" She added with a small grin. That should keep the two men in check.

 **-ABL-**

Dinner ended up being one of the best Harry had in ages. Dan had warmed up to him a bit more as they spoke about the case he was working. Rally work was considered the safest thing an Auror could do in England, and he was secretly pleased that his grandson wasn't at much risk of losing his father. Harry respected the man more than he let on. He knew that he and Dan would never have a friendly relationship, but their roasting of each other was something each enjoyed.

"So, have you set up a room for your son to sleep in?" Emma asked curiously.

Harry stopped the fork at his mouth mid bite. "I haven't…" He admitted. "I've been so busy trying to adjust to everything that's going on that I haven't had the chance."

Hermione smiled at him. "Shh, it's ok, Harry." She took his hand. "We've got time to worry about that before Jason spends a weekend at his Daddy's place." She assured him. "Though, I don't know if I'd be able to handle a weekend without my baby boy." She admitted with a small blush. She couldn't remember the last time she even spent a night away from the little boy who was currently painting his face with mash potatoes and gravy. "Oh, Jason…"

Harry chuckled softly. "How about I bring him to be washed up?" He offered.

"We'll both give him a bath." Hermione picked the baby up, bringing Harry to the bathroom. She passed the toddler to Harry as she began to draw the bath. "I can't believe he's managed to give himself some serious war paint."

Harry chuckled, removing their son's clothes carefully. He placed the boy in the bath, taking a soft sponge and gently washing his face. He glanced over at Hermione, smiling softly. "You are so beautiful." He whispered. He turned his attention back to Jason, who was trying to escape from the bathtub.

"He hates bathing alone." Hermione blushed. "Usually I share a bath with him. He's at the age where I can still do it before he figures out boys and girls are different."

Harry smiled. He took his top off, shedding his bottoms and underwear. He stepped into the bath, resting Jason on his knee as he began to carefully wash the boy's belly. "Good thing I needed a bath." He replied cheekily. He watched as she stared at his chest. "Oh…been a while since you've seen me without clothes…"

Hermione didn't answer. She traced the large burn mark that rested on his breast bone. "What happened…?"

Harry glanced down at the wound. "Oh, they think it's from Dumbledore." He chuckled weakly. He kept a careful hold of his son as he bathed him, trying not to meet her eyes. "He was a fool for doing that."

Hermione nodded. "He was." She frowned. "He didn't even visit. He just burst out of his flat and decided to destroy Dumbledore. Something about his lineage being able to overcome death itself if need be." She sniffled. "I-I couldn't believe it when James and Lily called me. I dropped the phone." Tears began slipping down her cheeks as she remembered that night. "Jason slept in my bed that night, and I prayed. For the first time since I was a child, I prayed to God to save you, Harry. I pleaded with Him. Even promised to marry you if you pulled through." She added with a weak chuckle.

Harry wiped away her tears with his free hand. "He didn't deserve you." He whispered. " _I_ don't deserve you." He sniffled. "It's like fate. Wherever a Harry Potter needs help, there's a Hermione Granger there to help him." He brushed his hand against her cheek. "You are my guardian angel, 'Mione." He rested his hand on her cheek, brushing the last tears away.

Hermione felt her lip tremble as she listened to him. "I wish my Harry had been so eloquent with his words. Best thing he ever said to me was how much of a good screw I was." She leaned over, capturing his lips with hers. "I love you, Harry Potter. No matter who you are."

Harry felt her lips on his, smiling internally when she finished speaking. "I love you too." He felt his own tears falling. "And if it takes me the rest of my life, I'll treat you like the princess you should have been treated as." He heard Jason babbling on his knee.

"Harry, I think he might have pooed on you." Hermione crinkled her nose.

Harry took a nervous glance down. "He's not a romantic, is he?" He asked rhetorically.

Hermione took their son up, cleaning away the mess on Harry's leg with a wave of her wand. "Gets it from his father." She smirked. "Well, his old father."

Harry chuckled. He took Jason in his hands, holding him close to his chest. "I'm glad Death offered me a second chance." He whispered softly. "I've never felt so…complete in my life." Tears streamed down his cheeks again, though these were tears of happiness.

 **-ABL-**

Dan listened from outside the door, wiping his own eyes. It was true, it wasn't the same Harry. This one may have kept some of his previous self's memories, but he acted the way a real man should have. He knocked on the door, opening it gently. "It's too late for you to get home now, kid. Might as well spend the night here." He glanced at the family in front of him, smiling softly. "Besides, I know J's really starting to like having you around."

Hermione smiled at her father. "Thanks, Daddy." She moved closer to him, kissing his cheek. "And don't worry, I'll lock my door."

Dan smirked to himself. "Damn right you are." He turned to Harry. "I hear so much as a spring creaking in her room, and I'll send your ass to the doghouse outside."

Harry noticed the glint in his eyes. "Noted."

Hermione watched her father leave, turning back to Harry. "You didn't mention the fact you could spell the door open and silence the room." She pointed out.

Harry's grin widened a little. "No, I didn't." He captured her lips again. "But I meant it. I'm not taking advantage of you tonight. I just want to cuddle with my little family."

Hermione's grin matched his own. "Sounds perfect."


	4. Belonging

**Chapter 3 – Belonging**

Harry woke in the middle of the night, taking a peek at Hermione. She had her arms wrapped around his chest, her breath hitting his bare chest every few seconds. His hand gently stroked her hair, thinking back to a month and a half ago. He and his Hermione were in Shell Cottage, trying to recover from the death of Dobby, her torture at the hands of Bellatrix and planning their robbery with Ron. A sad smile graced his face as he thought about his friends. How many of them were still alive? Did any of them survive the Battle? He kissed her forehead, quashing the thoughts to the back of his mind. This was his life now. He had to accept that. Hermione accepted him instantly. His grandfather and parents did too. He had to remember that they need him more than his old world did.

She had been surprised when he actually meant all he wanted to do was cuddle. His top may have been off, but the rest of his clothing remained. Harry didn't want his relationship with Hermione to instantly go to physical. He may have plenty of memories of the two of them in sexual ways, but he never experienced it. It was like watching porn, all show but no substance. Her hair tickled against his chin as she moved her position.

He spared a glance over at their son, who was fast asleep in his cot. A smile graced his face as he watched the toddler peacefully sleep. It was the one that cemented his decision to stay in this world. Jason deserved a father who cared. Hermione deserved a partner who loved her unconditionally. As for himself, he deserved to be happy. To stop caring about whatever happened in his old life. They had won. They'd rebuild, create statues to those who fell. They'd manage to fix their world.

He carefully shifted Hermione so he could leave the bed, heading to the bathroom to relieve his full bladder. A glance in the mirror made him really look at the burn mark on his chest. No matter what, it seemed that Harry Potter was doomed to never have a blemish free body. He chuckled to himself at that realisation. A quick freshening later he found himself sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee.

The world he lived in now was truly a better one. Not just because the fact that his parents were still alive, or that he and Hermione had their own little family. This world may be under threat from a Dark Lord, but at least the muggle and magical communities were working together to ensure that they could work together against any threat. It was touching to actually a world free of the barrier that divided blood status all those years ago.

He didn't really notice Dan walk in, but the sudden blinding light from the ceiling managed to catch his attention. "Little warning next time?" He frowned.

Dan chuckled softly. "Sorry kid." He poured himself a cup of coffee, sitting across from him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Probably." Harry shrugged. "Month and a half ago, I used to sleep about two, maybe three hours." He sipped his coffee. "Now, I can't manage six. My old life, in my world…it's still affecting me here." He smirked. "All those months…the planning…" He downed the rest of his coffee with a satisfying sigh. "I had plans for after the war…instead…I walked to my own fucking death."

Dan frowned. "What made you do that?"

"I had a piece of Voldemort's soul bonded to mine. I had to die for that piece to be destroyed." Harry's thoughts instantly went back to that day. "In reality, I realise that Death tricked me. He took control of the Resurrection Stone and made me see what I had to." His expression darkened. "I love this world though, I truly do…but I can't help but wonder how many of my friends didn't make it."

Dan sighed. "I lost friends to a Dark Lord too." He said softly. "Back in '86, I was drafted into the Allied Forces on the Eastern Front. My best friend, Hermione's godfather…he didn't make it. He was an amazing wizard, but even he was discarded with one spell. Sometimes all you have to do is push it away." He shook his head. "I can't believe I'm having a polite conversation with you of all people…"

Harry chuckled softly. "I know." He closed his eyes for a moment. "You and I have had a turbulent history, Dan, and I want to apologise for that." He rubbed his eyes. "I know that wasn't really me, but it was Harry who fucked up Hermione's heart." He played with the cup. "To be honest, I was the same with my own Hermione. I knew she loved me, but I always made sure to push her off to Ron…I didn't want her to be stuck with me." He shook his head. "I didn't think I deserved love."

Dan watched him carefully. "You really aren't Harry." He commented softly. "I keep having to remind myself of that fact. You have the maturity that Harry sorely lacked in his life. Harry had too much of a sheltered upbringing to be fully mature. His parents, his grandfather, they kept him on a pedestal because of his skill. You though, you seem to care about people. You know what you're doing."

Harry nodded. "I didn't have people to shelter me. I had people who put me in the firing line." He checked the time. "I should head back up. I think Hermione deserves to wake up in my arms."

Dan frowned. "She better be dressed!" He warned.

Harry chuckled. "She is. We're just cuddling."

Dan rolled his eyes. "I'll let it slide. This time!"

 **-ABL-**

Hermione opened her eyes, smiling sleepily at the sight of Harry beside her. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, hugging herself close to him. "I haven't slept that well in years." She chuckled softly, kissing his other cheek. "So, what's the plan for today, Mr. Potter?"

Harry stroked her hair, thinking to himself what to do. He guiltily realised that he hadn't really spent any time with his parents or siblings since he had been back. Granted, he wasn't actually used to having siblings or parents, so it had been a hard adjustment for him to make. He peeked outside, grinning to himself. "Well, we could go to my mum and dad's house I suppose. I haven't really spent a lot of time with them as of late."

Hermione nodded against him. "That would be nice. I haven't seen Mr. and Mrs. Potter since last Christmas." She whispered, sitting up. She took Jason out of his crib, smiling at their son. "And I know that Nana Potter wants to cuddle and spoil her little grandson." She cooed, holding the baby against her chest. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe we could borrow your Mum's car?"

"She's gone for the day. So's dad."

Harry sighed. "Floo or Apparate then."

Hermione frowned. "I don't really want to introduce Jason to magical travel just yet. His core won't stabilise until he's three." She passed the baby to Harry, smiling as he instantly cuddled the boy close to him.

"The Knight Bus!" Harry suddenly remembered.

"Shut down years ago." Hermione pointed out.

"Flying Carpets?"

"Banned."

Harry sighed again, sitting up on the bed. He kissed Jason's forehead, thinking on his feet. "What if I transfigured the bike into a car?"

"That…could work." Hermione frowned a little. "What if we just used the sidecar?"

Harry blinked, staring down at his bike. "Um…where is it?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You really need to meld those memories completely together." She chuckled. "It's in the left saddlebag." She took Jason off of him. "Now, I'm going to make our son some breakfast. You set up the sidecar and use the baby attachment that I bought you last Christmas."

Harry smiled, kissing their foreheads. He went down to the bike, taking out the sidecar and the attachments he needed. He magically re-expanded the sidecar, locking the baby seat and cover onto it before attaching it back to his bike. He noticed a few of her neighbours staring at him and gave them a wave. He knew his reputation wasn't the best with them, but he was hoping to change it. He made his way back inside, showering for the day.

Hermione handed him a bacon butty with brown sauce and a cup of coffee. She fed Jason a bowl of mashed banana and oatmeal, smiling at him as he tried to paint his face with the food. "You're as messy as Ron." She shook her head, being careful not to give him a chance to do it. Before she knew it, Harry had the boy strapped into the baby seat, fixing the wind cover over the compartment. He opened the side window slightly so the boy would have fresh air.

She wrapped her arms around Harry as the engine roared to life underneath them. She hadn't been on the bike in so long. She let out a squeal of delight as they drove down the road. It was going to be a long trip, but at least they got to spend some extra time together.

 **-ABL-**

Lily Potter let out her own little squeal as she picked her grandson up. "Look how big you've gotten!" She gushed over the baby. "And so handsome, just like your Daddy and Granddaddy." She hugged Hermione and Harry, ushering them into the kitchen. "It's about time you two came by for a visit." She locked the door magically, noticing that Harry had Hermione's hand in his own. "Oh, are you two back together?"

Harry nodded softly. "Hermione was gracious enough to give me a second chance. One that I'm not going to waste."

Lily was about to say something, until she finally remembered that this wasn't just her son. "Your memories are back. You have my Harry's ones too…" She smiled sadly. "How have you been adjusting? Dad told me to give you time."

Harry shrugged. "I'm getting through it. There's so many things that are different now and I'm just trying to figure out what's the best thing for me." He admitted, hugging her again. "But I can tell you this…seeing you has made my life a million times better." He held her close to him. "Though, you are a lot shorter than I expected."

Lily slapped his head gently. "Cheeky git! I'll have you know that you Potter men are just lanky giants!"

Harry chuckled softly, kissing Hermione's cheek. "As for Hermione. I knew that she deserved better than what I was being, so I made sure to show her just how much she and J mean to me."

Hermione hugged him softly. "And he's finally taking your advice to heart, Mrs. Potter."

"I keep telling you to call me Lily." She replied with a soft laugh. "Mrs. Potter keeps making me look around for my mother in-law."

Harry sat down with Hermione, glancing around. "Are the kids here?"

Lily nodded. "We told them the situation last night when they got home. Jasmine is worried about meeting someone who can't remember her, but she knows that you've got both sets of memories. The twins aren't sure what to think, but I know that they'll be ok with you." She assured him. She poured three glasses of lemonade, and a small glass of juice for her grandson. "Your Dad's just at the shop with the lads. Sales are going up since all the kids are off school."

Harry smiled. "Sirius and Remus, I can't wait to see them." He played with the glass. "Have either of you heard of someone called Cedric Diggory?" He asked suddenly. He knew that Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Fred, his parents and others had survived, but he had to know. The one death that had plagued him for close to three years now.

"He's the reserve Seeker for the Appleby Arrows." Hermione answered with a scowl. "You slept with his girlfriend after we split up."

"I slept with Cho?!" Harry gulped. _"Wow, that actually sounds like something I want to remember."_ He quickly quashed those thoughts away. _"Bad Harry!"_

Hermione watched his face. "Yes. Honestly Harry, don't you remember who you slept with?!" She rolled her eyes.

"I haven't fully melded the memories to mine. I use it like a photo album. I skim the memories for the important details, and the only important women to me are in this room." Harry answered softly.

"Nice save." Lily smirked. "You're getting smoother than Sirius."

Harry couldn't help but rub the back of his head with a blush on his face. He still wasn't used to being praised by his parents, let alone speaking to his mother. "Well, I suppose the old dog has finally rubbed off on me." He chuckled softly. He watched his mother holding Jason. "He's happy to see you."

Lily smiled, cuddling the toddler closer to her. "Why wouldn't he be? Nana Potter is soft and cuddly." She cooed softly, making baby noises to the happy toddler. She sat down with them, letting the little lad settle on her lap. "So, how's your integration going?"

Harry shrugged. "It's slow." He admitted, playing with the cup of coffee. "I love this world though. It's got everything I wish my world had. My world had nothing but bigotry and war. Voldemort was trying to kill all non-purebloods. Dumbledore was basically sitting on the fence about things. He ran a vigilante group that used non-lethal methods." He shook his head ruefully. "The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that my Dumbledore was just too complacent when it came to fighting evil. He believed in second chances for everyone." He finished his coffee, staring at Jason. "I've tons more family here too."

"What was your family like?" Hermione and Lily asked together.

"Well," Harry sighed. "I was raised by my aunt and her husband. They were both muggles, and they hated magic with a passion." He didn't mind talking about it with these people. In the month he had been there, he trusted them more than anything. "I lived in a cupboard under the stairs until I reached Hogwarts. I was made to every chore while my cousin sat on his fat arse. I was treated like dirt. Now, I don't even know if they lived or died. And in all honesty…I don't care."

Lily frowned. "What was her name?"

"Petunia Dursley." Harry replied.

Lily couldn't stifle the small laugh that erupted from her lips. "My sister Petunia never married that oaf in this world." She assured him. "Tuni is a bit of an odd duck around my sisters. Violet married a magical zoologist. She currently lives in Ecuador." She explained softly. "My sister Rose lives in London with her wife."

"And Petunia?" Harry asked curiously.

"Tuni never married. She was too much of a free soul. She had a son when you were about ten. I think she's living in Ireland at the moment. She tends to travel around. Petunia made her career out of reporting on the war. She's one of the best war time correspondents in the world." She commented proudly. "Her son lives his father six months of the year and with Tuni the other six." She finished her coffee. "She focuses on the orphans of war." She glanced into Harry's eyes. "You didn't have a good life, did you?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I didn't." He whispered. He hadn't tried to dwell on it a lot, the war had given him a genuine reason not to focus on what his life had been like. "Sirius was arrested for betraying you and dad in '81. He was sent to Azkaban without a trial with the rest of the 'known' Death Eaters who worshipped Voldemort. He escaped when I was thirteen, and tried to be in my life…he died when I was fifteen." He felt Hermione's hand on his back. "Remus died in the Final Battle. He and his wife had only had a son a couple of months previous to that…" He sniffled. "You, Dad, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory, Fred, Dobby, Hedwig…I lost a lot of friends and family."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him. "It sounds like you truly had a rougher life than we thought."

Harry chuckled weakly. "Dumbledore once told me that because of the life I lived, I had become the hero that the wizarding world needed. That I alone had the power to lead us out of the mess that the bigots put us into." He frowned. "As for myself, I just wanted to finish the war, marry the woman I loved and raise a family. Instead, I pushed her into someone else's arms and settled on someone else. Someone who was good to me, but I didn't love her as much as I loved Hermione." He closed his eyes. "I hope she at least survived…her mother lost a son too, she couldn't handle losing her only daughter."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she listened to the way he spoke. She kissed his cheek softly, running one of her hands into his hair. "You are a noble person, Harry."

Lily nodded. "More so than my son was…" She admitted with a sad smile. "He was a proud young man. Emotionally, he wasn't as mature as you are. To him, the war was something that his generation were destined to win. James and I tried to tell him that this had been going on since the fucking forties, but he was like his father, pig-headed at times." She took his hand. "I'm glad you have his memories though…I wouldn't have survived losing my son."

Harry squeezed her hand, smiling tearfully. "Thanks, mum." He whispered, kissing her cheek. He took a deep breath, grinning internally. "Now, enough of this crying shite. Let's celebrate. I'm alive and the family is whole." He held Hermione close to him. "Completely whole." He kissed her softly.

"Ew!" A feminine voice called out. Jasmine Potter's nose wrinkled as she walked into the room. As soon as Harry saw her he was shocked. She was the image of their mother. Red hair that fell to her back, soft features on her face and barely reaching his chin. She had their dad's eyes though, hazel and striking. "Why must he suck face when I'm in a room?" She asked sarcastically.

Harry chuckled, walking over to engulf her in a hug. "Shut up! I heard you went Panda eyed when you found out your awesome brother was in hospital." He held her close to him, stroking her hair as he heard her sniffle a little. "Getting emotional, Jazzy?"

Jasmine cried into his chest. "You stupid fucking moron!" She suddenly started slapping his chest. "You goddamned! Pig-headed! Narcissistic! Whore-mongering! Bastard!" She frowned. "You ever try and pull a stupid stunt like that again, and I'll personally shove a Firebolt up your bloody hole! Do you understand me?!" She snapped.

Harry hugged her again. "Shh." He rubbed her back. "I understand…"

Jasmine wiped her eyes. "And as for the new Harry Potter," She tried to keep her frown. "You'll discover, that I don't give idle threats!"

Harry smiled. "I don't doubt it." He kissed her forehead. "Now, you're grounded for cursing so much around your nephew."

"You can't ground me." Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"No," Lily crossed her arms, giving her best 'mother' glare. "But I can. You're grounded for a week."

"Mum," Jasmine whined. "I'm supposed to be staying with Harry! It's the first weekend of the summer." She turned to Harry. "Come on, tell her!"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, well…" He chuckled nervously. "I'm turning the spare room into Jason's room…"

Jasmine's eye twitched. "But you promised!"

Harry gulped, turning to his mother. "Help." He mouthed.

Lily sighed. "Fine. You can stay at Harry's for a week, but you have to help them look after Jason and do whatever your brother tells you. Is that understood?"

Jasmine nodded, grinning widely. "I can do that. And Jason and I can share the room." She picked up her nephew. "Don't you want to share a room with your favourite auntie? Don't you handsome?" She cooed, kissing the boy's cheeks. She squealed in delight as the boy hugged her face with his little arms. "See? He wants to share a room with auntie Jazzy."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "…This is going to be an interesting week…"

 **-ABL-**

The decision was easy when it came to bringing Jasmine along with he, Hermione and Jason. He had enough time to apparate with her while Hermione and Jason drove over with his mother. He hadn't had many chances to apparate these days. The bosses had given him warnings that he wasn't to misuse the ability, but he didn't really like the idea of travelling twice in order to get everyone home.

He checked the spare room, cleaning it with a couple of spells. Jasmine had quickly made it her own by throwing her clothes into one of the dressers and setting up Jason's cot near to her. She went extremely giddy at the idea of spending the night cuddling up to her nephew. Out of all of his siblings, Jasmine was at the age where everything Jason did was cute and amazing. He tossed a couple of spells around the room to secure it from any dangers. It was paranoia on his part, but both wars had firmly been etched within his head.

He checked his watch. "Mum should be here shortly. So, let's lay down the ground rules now."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Harry crossed his arms. "This is my flat, not a party zone for you and your friends. I will not have anyone I don't know here after 11pm." He held up a finger as she began to argue. "And don't give me some spiel that I have no memories of your friends." He tapped his head. "I have _all_ my memories."

"Fine." Jasmine crossed her arms.

"Secondly, you will not be using this place as a crash zone whenever you fight with someone. I don't mind you visiting whenever you want, but don't turn this place into a war zone on me." Harry opened two bottles of butterbeer, passing on to her. "And lastly. No heavy drinking." He warned her. "You're only sixteen. And don't think I don't know about the bottle of vodka in your knicker drawer."

Jasmine frowned. "How?!"

"I have spells that detect anything people bring into my home." Harry smirked. "Better safe than sorry. Always practice constant vigilance!"

Jasmine crossed her arms. "You sound like Dad's old boss."

Harry smirked. "Good. Maybe that'll show you how serious I am." He quickly scanned his memories for a moment. Thanks to the work with his grandfather and the original Harry's own Occlumency skills, he had managed to perfect an encyclopaedia of the original Harry's memories to scan through whenever he needed information. "And your boyfriend isn't staying over either."

Jasmine sighed. "Ex-boyfriend." She corrected him. "He left me for that Italian bird who transferred last year." Her expression told him to drop the subject. If there was one thing he had learnt from scanning memories, it was that Jasmine had picked up one thing from their mother; her famous temper. She sat down on the bed, sighing once more. "I guess I shouldn't have picked a boy who looked up to you so much."

Harry smirked. "Yeah. That tends to be a bad idea." He sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her. "He's just a prick." He gave her a one-armed hug, trying to think of the words to comfort her. "I think the weirdest thing about coming back here had to be having siblings." He chuckled weakly. "It was amazing to see Mum and Dad. Granddad was someone who tried to kill me in my old life, so that was a shock. But, you and the twins…you guys really fucked me up. I could handle the rest, but what scared me was taking someone away from their siblings."

Jasmine turned to him, thinking on his words. It was something that made sense to her. "What was your world like?"

"Lonely." Harry answered honestly. "I had friends, people who thought of themselves as my family…but I was lonely." He repeated the older words. "I didn't have anyone who I considered true family. The Weasleys, they were my family in the sense that they accepted me for who I am. Hermione and Ron, they were my family in the sense that they understood what I went through. Even Sirius, he was someone who saw me as Dad. Not as my own person. Kept calling me James too." He ran a hand through his hair. "This world, it is tons better than my old one." He smiled. "I have loads of family. A son. Friends who don't pity me."

Jasmine smiled sadly at him. "You sound so different than my brother. He didn't bother with that shit." She admitted. "I used to think he was the coolest guy ever. Everyone wanted to be his friend. All the girls in my year wanted him in their knickers." She giggled. "I used to let them into your room when you were asleep during summers." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Mum, Dad, Granddad and Nana told me you were different. That you had something that our Harry lacked. I thought they were bullshitting me. My brother had everything…" She sighed. "Everything except appreciation of what he had. He took his friends and his life for granted."

Harry nodded. "I think that's a fair thing to say." He glanced out at the street, seeing his mother's car. "I hope you don't mind me having his body, Jasmine. I do want to get on with my family. Hey, are Dad's parents alive?"

"You mean Charlus and Dorea?" Jasmine asked curiously. "They're alive. I think Nan's in Italy and Papa's in Greece at the moment."

"I thought their names were Fleamont and Euphemia?" Harry frowned.

"Merlin no!" Jasmine snorted. "What kind of bastard names their son Fleamont?"

Harry chuckled. "My great-grandfather, for one."

Jasmine frowned at that. "Evil man." She stood up, hugging him once more. "I'm glad you're here to be with our family." She whispered, holding onto him. "You're still our Harry. Only now you're not a prick."

Harry hugged her back, kissing her forehead. "And you're part of my life from now on." He glanced over at the door as his mum, Hermione and Jason entered the flat. This was really a good life.

 **A/N: Last of the family setting chapters. From now on it'll be moving into the darker parts, including Dumbledore's motives and style. Please review and enjoy. I'm sorry it took a couple of weeks longer than the rest of the updates. I'm working on multiple projects, working part-time and trying to live a social life…I need a vacation.**


	5. War

**Chapter 4 – War**

"Ladies and gentlemen of our grand empire!" The booming voice of an old man echoed through the stadium. Albus Dumbledore looked every bit the 'emperor' persona that he had built around himself over the previous decades. His wore a black gilded robe, covered in different ornamental jewels on the cuffs and collar. His beard sat softly upon his chest as he made his way to the podium, his grey hair shining under the morning sun. He held a powerful staff in his hands, resting his hands on the top of it. "Today is a magnificent day for us all. On this day, we have taken the traitorous ones into custody!" A round of cheers erupted as he spoke. "We will extract all information from their traitorous mouths, before plunging them into the oblivion all muggle lovers deserve. We will learn how to kill those who live under the rule of muggles. We will enslave those without magic and make our people the rulers of this planet as we should be!"

"Down with muggles!" The crowd shouted.

Dumbledore began to pace back and forward, stopping once the cheers finished. "We will give no quarter to anyone who stands against us! Right now, in France, they laugh in our faces as we prepare for war. But they shall not laugh when we send our Dementors onto their shores. Their soldiers won't be laughing when their souls are RIPPED from their bodies and fed to our protectors!" Another round of cheers blasted through the stadium. "IT IS OUR BIRTH RIGHT TO RULE!" He bellowed. "Our birth right, which has been taken from us by those dogs who serve the muggle world!"

"Emperor!" Several men cheered out.

"It is the duty of every magical being to rise up against the damned muggles and their poisonous ideals. They call us their brethren, yet none of our American or English magicals are allowed to travel magically without permission from the muggles!" A round of boos sounded. "They are unable to use magic to do certain things. Their Aurors are not allowed to pursue muggles who try and attack magical beings!" More boos echoed through the stadium. "They bow to the muggles because they are afraid of them. Afraid of the nuclear weapons they developed. Look at the damage done to our Japanese magical brothers and sisters! Bombed by the Americans because of the war muggles waged amongst each other! They did not slaughter muggles! They did not slaughter their own! THEY WERE INNOCENT!"

Several of his closest advisors made their way to him, each of them taking their position. "On this day, we wage war on their lands! Dementors will descend on to the streets of Paris and London! NONE SHALL BE SPARED THE WRAITH OF THE DEMENTORS!"

 **-ABL-**

Harry frowned as he watched the recordings on the television in work. Everyone was spooked. He'd never seen any of them so spooked, not even in the old Harry's memories. Dumbledore's threats seemed to shake them to their foundations. He ran a hand through his hair, clearing his throat. "Is the threat solid?"

"Yes." Chief Tonks responded, his voice devoid of the usual sarcastic undertones and demeaning comments. "We're treating this as an act of war." He crossed his arms. "As you all know, there is no known spell that can repel or harm a Dementor."

That caught Harry's attention. There seemed to be no Patronus spell in this world. He licked his lips for a moment. Using that to his advantage could actually allow him to regain a lot of the admiration he had lost from the Auror Corps and the government. He'd have to embrace the other Harry's personality for this to work. "Actually sir, I've been working on one."

Chief Tonks frowned. "Explain, Auror Potter!" He demanded.

Harry stood up, making his way to the front of the crowd. "It's a complicated spell with an easy incantation." He explained, crossing his arms behind his back. "The basic idea is using your good memories as a form of a barrier to repel the Dementors. They're literally overfed with memories until they have no choice but to flee. Too much happiness cannot substance a Dementor. While they feed on happy memories, the actual emotion of pure bliss is like acid to them."

"And this spell works?" He asked, his curiosity increasing with every second.

"I haven't had the chance to test it on a proper Dementor, but it worked on Boggarts that took the form of them." Harry cleared his throat. "Once perfected, it also brings forth a sort of 'spirit animal' to protect the user from Dementors." He held his wand out, focusing on several amazing memories he had made in the last month. "Expecto Patronum!" With a twist of his wand, a large stag erupted from his wand, scanning the room for threats.

"Amazing!" Chief Tonks grinned, rubbing his chin in amazement. "How long will it take to train all Aurors with the spell?"

"It could take weeks sir, maybe months." Harry admitted.

"You have a day." The Chief replied.

"Impossible." Harry frowned. "It took me months to expel anything other than a silvery mist. It's impossible to teach anyone in a day, it can't be done."

Chief Tonks let out a sigh of irritation. "Then you're telling me that our only defence against god knows how many Dementors is one kid with an ego the size of Big Ben?" He opened his desk, pulling out a potion to deal with the migraine that was quickly forming. "How many could you repel?"

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "If I focus the right memories, I'll be able to repel up to one hundred Dementors…if my maths is right."

Chief Tonks could have sworn that he had just felt a bullet go through his head. This was a case do or die, and the kid was talking fucking maths! He doubted that the idiot could even read anything more than a pop-up book, but if he could as he said, it'd be a huge advantage. "Aurors Tonks, Parkinson and Thomas will be your back up. If you think it won't work, run! I don't care what anyone says, it's better to live another day than to go out in a blaze of glory."

Harry nodded. "Pansy, Dean, Dora, let's go." He hopped up from his chair. "I might be able to at least start a little training with you lot." He suddenly felt dirty inside. Taking credit for a spell that existed in his old world made him feel like Lockhart, prancing around like he was a fucking genius. This was different though, it was the safety of those he loved. For Hermione, and Jason. He cracked his knuckles as the three of them stared at him with more than a little bit of doubt. "This spell takes a lot out of you, so we're going to try it one at a time. Dora, ladies first."

Nymphadora Tonks glared at him for a moment before taking position near him. "I keep telling you not to fucking call me that." She held her wand stiffly in front of her, trying to centre her thoughts. "Happy memories…" She focused on the day she graduated the academy, her dad's smile and her mother's tears of happiness at her daughter finally getting her shield. "Expecto Patronum!" She frowned as nothing happened.

"Not happy enough. Focus on something that's almost euphoric to you." Harry noticed her frowning at him. "And leave any animosity at the door, Tonks. We can sort out that shite later."

Tonks sighed. She focused her thoughts again, focusing on the one thought that did fill her with happiness. She closed her eyes, smiling to herself as the memory filled her with glee. "Expecto Patronum!" She opened her eyes, noticing the fading mist. "Damn!"

Harry clapped. "Not bad. If you can keep that up, it'll repel one Dementor." He gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "Good work. Dean, you're next."

 **-ABL-**

He sat on the top of the Auror building, staring up at the sky. The decision not to announce the attack to the public was a smart one. After all, they didn't really know if they would call off the attack if they noticed no target was chosen. Paris was on full lockdown, with all citizens moved to different towns and cities as a safety precaution. He picked up his phone, calling her number while he had the chance. "Mione, what are you up to?"

" _J and I are just on the High Street. We're shopping for Granddad Granger's birthday present."_ Hermione replied, noticing the time on her watch. _"You shouldn't be calling me at work, you'll get in trouble."_

Harry's heart stopped in his chest. "Ok. Listen to me very carefully…" He took deep breaths. She couldn't be around. Not for this. "There's going to be an attack today. Dementors are going to swarm London. I'm going to use a spell that I know to repel them. I need you and Jason to get the fuck out of the city while you have the chance. Get a taxi and I'll pay you back later…"

Hermione gulped on the line. _"D-Dementors…"_ Her voice quivered as she realised just how dangerous the situation was becoming. _"Harry, the sky's turning black…"_

He glanced up at the sky, his breath becoming visible with the chill. He held a death grip on his phone. "Get indoors. Bring as many people as you can inside and use a warding spell!"

" _I can't!"_ Hermione shrieked. _"Warding spells aren't taught to civilians!"_

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "Protego totalum, then seal the doors and windows with the normal spells." He pulled his wand out, aiming towards the sky. "Hermione. Text me where you are and I will save you. I love you. Both of you."

" _We love you too…"_ Hermione whimpered out. He could hear the choking from her voice. _"Daddy's going to save us, don't cry baby."_

Harry reluctantly hung up the phone, turning his gaze to the swarm of Dementors. "Adding Maxima to most spells will increase the force of power. Lumos Maxima for instance will illuminate an area of up to three square miles if used properly." He recited the old textbook from memory, flaring his nostrils. "Expecto Patronum!" He shouted from the top of his lungs, sending Prongs onto the battlefield. He turned to his backup, frowning. "Incendio! It won't kill them but their robes are flammable. Dementors can't stand heat."

Tonks, Dean and Pansy sent out multiple streams of flames, watching in amazement as the ghostly stag charged between the Dementors, knocking many of them into the line of fire. Tonks moved beside him, watching him carefully. She closed her eyes again, trying to muster every single happy memory she had ever had. "Expecto Patronum!" She shouted, opening her eyes to see the mist dispel. "No! I won't let my friends die! Expecto Patronum!" She shouted again, crying in frustration as nothing happened.

"Tonks, don't do it." Harry spoke softly, wiping sweat from his brow as they fought against the growing swarm. There had to be at least a thousand Dementors. "They skipped over Paris…"

Tonks' eyes widened in shock as she understood the meaning. "They were planning to attack us all along. The Ministry in Paris is fucking empty. Bollocks!" She grabbed Harry, kissing him soundly. "Tell Hermione I'm sorry about that!" She pointed her wand alongside his, grinning to herself. "Expecto Patronum!" She bellowed from the top of her lungs, laughing in disbelief as an eagle charged towards one of the Dementors. "I did it!"

Harry grinned. "Trust you, Dora! The only fucking person who could make a liar out of me." He chuckled, adding the happiness to his own Patroni's power. "There's too many for me to attack at once. I have a plan, but if it fails, I want you to tell Hermione that she was the best thing that ever happened to me." He dropped the spell for a moment, taking a step forward. "Expecto Patronum MAXIMA!" He frowned for a second, feeling his core drain of nearly all energy.

The result was different than expected. He had expected a fifty-foot stag to charge towards them all. Instead, a herd of both stags and does charged towards the Dementors, cutting them down as if they were nothing more than toilet paper. He collapsed into their arms, laughing weakly as the Dementors split into two groups. "I actually killed some…"

Tonks frowned. "Harry, they're heading into the city."

He stood up slowly. "Someone bring me with them. I don't have the strength to apparate by myself." He wrapped an arm around Dora's, closing his eyes. Within seconds, they were on the High Street, watching the carnage as several Dementors charged after people. He raised his wand, sending out a weaker Patronus orb. He tried to steady himself, watching in horror as several muggles dropped to the ground with glazed over eyes.

Pansy noticed several buildings had been magically sealed. "Why the hell didn't they enter some of the rooms with everyone else…?" She sent out a pillar of flames, singing the robes of the Dementors. "Harry, can you do another one of those swarms?"

Harry gulped. "I could, but I don't know what to expect." He sighed to himself. "Expecto Patronum…Maxima!" He sent out another swarm, collapsing onto the ground the second it erupted from his wand.

Tonks knelt down, checking his pulse. "He's alive, but barely…" She stared at the High Street, frowning as she noticed all the empty robes. "Get everyone to safety. Portkeys to the local hospitals and get us back to the station after Harry's been stabilised. Find Granger and her son, they need to go with Harry."

 **-ABL-**

Death frowned as he noticed Harry standing in front of him. "Ok. You're not supposed to be fucking dead…" He took out his check list for the day. Palin. Penn. Pimm. Polanski. No Potters! "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Harry groaned, blinking the light from his eyes. "I was in London. Dementor attack. Expecto Patronum Maxima…"

Death rubbed his skull carefully, shaking his head as he noticed what the idiot said. "You used Maxima on the goddamned Patronus?! AND YOU USED A PATRONUS IN THAT WORLD?! THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO GET THAT SPELL FOR ANOTHER TWO HUNDRED YEARS!"

Harry winced. "I had no choice. My son and girlfriend were in danger." He turned his head, feeling a familiar presence near him. "Why am I here?"

Death sighed. "I didn't summon you here, but someone did." He closed the book, shaking his head. "A month in the afterlife and they're doing their damnedest to make sure I somehow die!" He gestured to the room beside them. "You've five minutes before I send you back. Make the most of them."

Harry frowned, making his way into the room. He froze at the sight of Hermione and Luna, running over to hug them. "How…?"

"I was duelling Bellatrix and she caught me with a disembowelling curse." Hermione frowned, holding onto him for dear life. "Luna's a recent arrival. She um…"

"I committed suicide, Hermione. Stop pitying me." Luna hugged the two of them. "You try spending five months kidnapped by the Malfoys and see if you're completely sane. Not to mention Daddy was executed for selling you all out…you were gone…I had no one left…" She sniffled, crying into his top. "I'm so sorry…I just wanted to be with my friends…"

Harry held onto the two of them. "Hey," He tightened his hold on Luna. "I walked to my own death. I understand…" He whispered, kissing her forehead. "How did you summon me here?"

Hermione blushed. "That was me. I summoned you here with an old obscure ritual…" She frowned. "Death told me what happened to you when you died." She held onto him as tight as she could, creating a chair. "I suppose, I just wanted to actually say goodbye to you…"

Harry sat down with them. "Never change." He chuckled sadly, holding onto the two of them with tears in his eyes. "I was just starting to accept everything…" He whispered to them. He frowned for a second. Magic couldn't work in the afterlife. Sir Nicolas had told him as such when he asked about the abilities of ghosts. "You fucking bastard!" He snapped at Death. "I still have one left. What's the deal?!"

Hermione and Luna looked to him with some confusion. There was something he knew that they didn't, and whatever it was, it had gotten him pissed. Death smirked at him. "Well, I saw an opportunity. You try being tethered to a family for nearly nine hundred years and see how you fucking feel!" He snapped back at him. "So, I decided to make you an offer." He chuckled to himself for a moment. "Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood hadn't stopped looking for you, so I thought I'd take advantage of it."

Harry frowned. "Let me guess, one of their souls melding into their counterpart for the shard in the cloak?" He couldn't believe it, though Death was known as a trickster deity. If what research his grandfather had was correct, Death had actually been the Trickster God Loki for a time. He watched the two lighting up at the idea of getting back to world of the living.

"Both." Death held his scythe out. "And their memories will meld and they'll keep the memories their counterparts have." He smirked. "Now, this is a onetime offer, Harry. I'll let you explain what will happen to them."

Harry turned to Hermione and Luna, biting his lip. "You can live again, but it'll be a world where magicals and muggles live alongside one another. Dumbledore is a Dark Lord trying to enslave the world. Voldemort is my grandfather, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and swears like a sailor with Tourette's at times." He closed his eyes. "You and I have a baby together." He whispered to Hermione. "And I was a bastard…"

Hermione took a step closer to him. "Harry, it could be a world where you're an evil overlord and I'm your unwilling concubine, as long as we're together." She sniffled, wrapping her arms around him. "I've loved you since I was a second-year girl, signing my books with Mrs. Hermione Potter. You just told me my idea of an ideal world, minus Dark Lord Dumbledore or you being a Riddle, but all that matters to me is that you finally got it in your thick skull that I love you…"

Harry held onto her, crying softly. He chuckled softly, kissing her passionately. "I love you…"

"So, do we have a deal? Or are the ladies re-entering their afterlife?" Death asked, smirking to himself.

Harry summoned the cloak to him. The cloak had been the last thing truly tethering him to the old life he had led. The only thing that truly reminded him of his existence as an orphan. He held it out to Death. "With this, you assure me that the memories of myself, Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood will meld into our bodies. You will also ensure that everyone who died today will re-enter their bodies too."

"No dice." Death frowned. "Half of them were supposed to die today. Only three souls weren't on the chopping block, and they're all here. You, Lovegood and Granger are currently in near death states. This will be the only chance you have to go back. I promise you, your memories will meld." He poked Harry's chest. "YOURS too!"

Harry clenched his jaw. "It's easier having it designed the way I do, but if that's part of the agreement, then I'll have to say yes."

Death nodded his head. "You two women have been the biggest pains in my arse since Lucrezia Borgia and Cleopatra died. If I see you again before you're fucking ancient, I'm going to send you to the Hall of Fallen Angels!"

Hermione glared at the deity in front of her. "And if you ever try and manipulate us again to get your way, I will summon your higher ups!" She warned him, gripping Harry's arm. "Luna, you need to find your way to us. We need to be united for the moment."

Luna sighed. "I'll find my way to London as fast as I can."

"My floo address is 'The Hideaway'." Harry whispered. "Wait until 8pm. We'll have Jason down for the night."

Luna nodded, hugging him once more. "It's time then…"

Death held his scythe out. "This is the part of the job I hate the most. Sending back souls leaves me with some fucking hangover." He tapped each of them on the shoulder with the scythe. "From where you've came I now return thee!"

 **-ABL-**

Harry's eyes awoken to the sight of Hermione and his back up team grinning at him. "How many?" He croaked out. "How many did we take out?" He sat up slowly, staring at the large bar of chocolate Hermione had thrust into his hands. He broke off several pieces, handing them out as he took Jason into his arms.

"Two hundred and fifty Dementors have perished on this day." Pansy broke the silence, trying her hardest not to gush at the statement. Never in her life did she think any human would be able to defeat one of those creatures. "The casualties were less than fifteen to one."

"We lost nearly twenty people…?" Harry whispered.

"About that, but we're still cleaning up the scene." Tonks answered sadly. "No Aurors were killed, only civilians. The government is standing by its decision not to announce the imminent attack." She frowned. "But there are some who think that the Auror Corps and MI5 acted without the consent of the people." She took a piece of chocolate, popping it into the toddler's mouth. The poor kid shouldn't have to be listening to them talking about death.

Hermione had been silent the entire time, but he knew the reason why. He kissed her cheek, hugging her close to him. "I'm sorry." He whispered sadly.

Hermione held onto him, feeling her heart break when he said it. Whoever the old Harry and Hermione were, they didn't belong together. Hell, the old Hermione was too much of a spineless worm in her opinion. She loved her Harry though, the same way Hermione loved the Harry in front of her. He wasn't the one who did the things her new memories held. "I love you." She assured him. "For now, and forever."

Harry smiled at her. "I'm going to speak to the Auror Corps and the Unspeakables. We need to train the recruits." He stood up, changing out of the hospital gown. Granted he could have waited until they left the room, but two out of the three women had been in his bed and Dean had seen it all in the locker rooms anyway. He tossed the shirt over his shoulders, not bothering to button it up. "Dean, I want the Chief here in ten minutes."

"I'm not your fucking assistant, Harry!" Dean frowned at him.

"Language!" Hermione admonished him. "Innocent ears!"

"Sorry, Hermione…" Dean apologised profusely, bowing his head in apology. "I'll have him here." He left the room. "He defeated a fuck loads of Dementors. I can't fucking believe this…" He whispered to himself, heading to the Auror Corps main building near Scotland Yard. "I need to speak to Chief Auror Tonks!"

Ted walked out to him after a moment. "How did it go? Is he alive or dead…?"

"Potter's awake, sir. He wants to speak to you and the Unspeakables to begin training on the Patronus spell." Dean responded, saluting his boss. "He and Miss Granger both had a fainting spell, but that's to be expected with Dementor exposure, sir."

Ted nodded, patting him on the back. "I want Potter ready to give a statement in five minutes!" He warned him. "Tell him that's a direct order from both myself and the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard. You, Auror Tonks and Auror Parkinson will also be in attendance."

Dean tried to repress a frown at that. "Sir, with all due respect…won't announcing that we have a spell put a target on Auror Potter?"

Ted frowned. "Look kid, this isn't my choice. I wanted them to keep it under wraps, but with everything that happened today…we need a win." He sat Dean down. "France has fallen." He whispered, trying not to show too much emotion. "The bastards were trying to take two countries in a day. This is a loss and a win for Dumbledore and a loss in the eyes of most allies. We've got Viktor fucking Krum in England somewhere, doing god knows what." He hated days like today. "Harry's spell has managed to do something that the allies have been attempting since the '50s. Now, we have a weapon against Dumbledore."

Dean ran a hand through his hair. He supposed his boss had a point when he thought about it. "I'll let him know." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sir, I'm sorry. I know he was stationed over there…"

Ted smiled sadly. "Thanks, Dean." The words had stunned him for a second. He didn't want to allow himself to cry over it at the moment. Dora wouldn't take it well, nor would Andi. He stood up with the boy, walking with him to the entrance. "Dean, tell Dora to come to me when you all get here. And after this, you, Potter, Parkinson and Dora have a week off to deal with everything that's happened."

Dean nodded. "Yes, sir." He wanted to say more, but he couldn't think of what to say. He disapparated back to the hospital, frowning at them. "France has fallen." He silenced the room before any of them shouted out. "We're going to be giving a statement outside Scotland Yard. Harry, the boss wants you to be the one who talks about it." He noticed Dora's face. "I'm…you know…"

Dora's eyes watered. "He knew the risks…" She whispered sadly, sobbing out as four pairs of arms found their way around her. A fifth smaller pair were holding onto the front of her shirt. "We all knew the risks when we signed up. I knew them. Dad knew them. Simonides knew them too." She wrapped her arms around Harry's son, since he was the closest one to her. Not to mention kids melted her heart. "Mum's going to be heartbroken though. Losing her baby boy like that."

Harry didn't know what to say. Thanks to the melding he had fond memories of Simonides Tonks. Simon had been on the frontlines for a couple of years now. He had signed up when Harry was fourteen. Simonides had been the one who tried to dissuade Harry and his classmates from joining the Auror Corps. In his ideals, he didn't want children to be part of the fight. He disapparated for a moment, returning with a bottle of whiskey and five glasses. "To Simon." He poured out five drinks. "May he be in heaven for an hour before the devil knows he's dead…" They all shared a drink, trying not to cry at their memories of the friendly man.

"That's the second time we've made that toast in a year." Dean whispered, placing the glass down. "He was right you know…this wasn't our war. We should have just stayed in school."

Harry nodded. He walked out with them, fixing his shirt and jacket. He held onto Hermione and Jason as they disapparated. He knew it wasn't something that he should have been doing with their son at that age, but they didn't have the time to jump into taxis. He walked over to the entrance, noticing his boss and the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard. "When do the vipers get here?"

"In a second." Chief Inspector Jacobs replied. "Fine work today, Auror Potter."

Harry straightened his shoulders. "Thank you, sir." He gestured to Hermione and Jason. "This is my girlfriend, Hermione and my son, Jason." He introduced the two to the Chief Inspector.

"Pleasure." Chief Inspector Jacobs smiled at the toddler. "Here come the sharks."

Harry was handed the statement as the reporters approached, taking a deep breath. "Hello everyone." He spoke softly into the seven microphones that been preplaced by the different news stations. "My name is Harry Potter, and I'm a Junior Auror, first class. Today, at 12:55pm, Dementors swarmed into the city of London with a mission from their supposed master. Their mission was to cause as much mayhem as possible. These creatures were doing so in the hope that they would cause us to abandon our homes. Our brethren in Paris did just that, and now the French government buildings have been taken by the Shadow Empire."

"Auror Potter!" One of the reporters called out. "Is it true that two hundred and fifty Dementors were killed today?"

Harry frowned. "Yes." He didn't like the way they were behaving. People had lost their souls today, left as nothing more than lifeless husks in hospital beds. "Unfortunately, not before twenty-three people were Kissed by Dementors. The spell used was one of my own creation, and is still in the experimental stage. I've been asked to speak to you all in lieu of the Chief Inspectors of Scotland Yard and the Auror Corps because of my spell. I've a statement here to read," He crumbled the paper up, incinerating it in his hands. "But no statement can describe the lives lost today. We're in a war, one that none of us want or asked for. We've all lost people to war. Children have become orphans. Parents have been forced to bury their own children. Widows have been made and families have been decimated." He closed his eyes. "My grandfather begged me not to become an Auror. He screamed at me. Shouted that the war was not to be on the shoulders of children. I used to scoff at him. Now, I owe him an apology. This spell is the start of our changing tides. To our brethren in the Allies, I say this, we will be instructing you all on the spell's power.

"This war has been fought since my grandfather was my age. And in that time, we have lived in constant fear of Albus Dumbledore and his Shadow Empire." He crossed his arms behind his back. "I speak now to those on the frontlines and to those who help in any way they can. You're all doing what needs to be done, as we are. With any luck, we may be able to end this war and go on with our lives. To those who lost sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers…we mourn with you. To the families of the victims today, we mourn with you." Tears sprang to his eyes. "Together, our love for one another and our way of life will trounce the evils of the world. Thank you for your time, but I believe we should all go home to our families."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him as they disapparated to his flat, staring at Luna. "You were watching?"

Luna wiped her eyes. "Yes." She sniffled. "I think we need to plan…"

 **A/N: I think that was a good place to end this chapter. At first, I had planned for Harry to trick Death into giving him his friends, but I knew if I did, then Death would essentially be nothing more than a bitch. Luna and Hermione won the lottery of people I had in my head because it made the most sense to me. For someone like Tonks, it would be too painful. Imagine waking up in a new world, without your husband or son and with a newly dead brother? It'd be cruel. Please review and I'm hoping to have a new chapter up in two weeks.**


	6. Planning

**Chapter 5 – Planning**

Harry and Hermione had finally managed to get Jason to sleep for the night after a few hours. Apparently, toddlers took the events of Dementors in a completely different way than kids, teens and adults, since he just wanted to hold onto his parents and cuddle. They didn't mind of course, he was their son after all. Luna had made herself at home in the living/kitchen area, sipping on a cup of cocoa. Both of them had to take another look at her. She was a good stone heavier than their Luna had been. Her hair was dipped dyed at the ends with tints of blue and she was wearing clothing that would have had Hermione spanked by her father if she attempted to wear at sixteen.

"Don't ask." Luna noticed the looks she was getting. "This place is like the complete opposite of our world. This Luna was not a nice girl." She frowned at herself for a moment. "Neither was the guy I woke up beside." She pulled her feet up on his couch. "How are you two holding up?"

Hermione snorted. "I've taken over the body of a girl who didn't have to fight to be accepted. So, for some reason, that added up to someone who was a complete doormat to people. Especially the walking cock here," She gestured to Harry with her thumb. "Honestly Harry, have you shagged everyone we've ever known? Tonks, Susan, Cho, Ginny and many more. I don't know why she took you back."

Harry agreed with her immensely. He didn't really understand it either. "You think I liked who I used to be here?! All he needed was blonde hair and a tub of gel and I would have been this world's Malfoy!" He plopped down beside Luna. "And you forgot Luna. I slept with her before I finished sixth year."

Luna thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, we shagged in Flitwick's office." She answered in her usual dreamy demeanour. She finished her cocoa. "That was an interesting night. Though you were hardly her first. I swear, this girl could give Pansy Parkinson a run for her money when it comes to Slytherins entering her." She rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "So, we're in a world where most of us have everything we ever wanted, but we're pale shells of our true selves, Dumbledore is apparently ten times worse than Voldemort, Voldemort is basically Dumbledore and Harry's grandfather, you two have a baby, Harry's an Auror and there's no Statute of Secrecy. Have I left anything out?"

"This world has no Patronus spell." Harry placed his arm around her, opening his other arm for Hermione to take. "I'm teaching it to them, so I've had to pull a Lockhart and claim I made it." He frowned for a moment, relaxing once Hermione cuddled into his other side. "I've three siblings."

"I've got Mum back." Luna whispered. "But I'm such a bitch to her." She sighed sadly, hiding her face in his shirt. "What do we tell them…?"

"The truth." Harry replied. "These people are our allies, Luna. Our parents and loved ones. They deserve to know the truth." He closed his eyes, relaxing his head against the sofa. "As for the three of us, we should plan on what our next move is. We're dealing with a world where most of our normal practices aren't going to fly. You can't apparate unless you're in the Auror Corps or a soldier on the frontlines." He frowned. "As for the lack of a Statute of Secrecy, some muggles aren't fans of magicals. The likes of the Second Salemers, the Magical Abolishment League and the Knights of the Sun. On our side, we've got the likes of the Shadow Empire, the Knights of Walpurgis and the Order of the Phoenix, all petitioning for a new Statute of Secrecy in different ways."

"Knights of Walpurgis…the forerunners of the Death Eaters?" Hermione frowned. "Who runs them?"

"I don't know. Granddad thinks it could be an old school friend of his. Tiberius Lestrange." Harry sighed for a moment. "Granddad's someone we should confer with. Unlike our Dumbledore, he's open with his information and he'll listen." He checked the time. "He's back from Spain tomorrow." He couldn't help but smile at the idea of Hermione and his grandfather discussing different things.

Hermione frowned a little. She wasn't exactly looking forward to speaking with the man who had essentially tried to off every muggleborn and outspoken opponent of his. According to Harry though, this man was a lot like their Dumbledore, only with a foul mouth. Her own memories of the man were happy enough, and he was a firm but fair Headmaster, compared to the sometimes too lax Dumbledore they had dealt with over the years. "As long as he knows what to do."

"He will." Harry assured her. He stood for a moment, making his way towards the window. "I've a week off thanks to today, so we'll have enough time to plan something out with granddad. Hopefully…hopefully he'll know what our next move should be." He took a coin from his pocket, twirling it through his fingers as he watched the police go by. "Dumbledore's following the first law of destruction…he's chipping away at the right people at the right times, but without the restraint that other Dark Lords have used."

Luna hummed quietly to herself. "Not to mention whatever he did to Fawkes. Shadow phoenixes are never born naturally. Only the darkest of rituals can corrupt a phoenix like that."

"What can shadow phoenixes do that an ordinary phoenix can't?" Hermione asked.

Luna frowned. "A shadow phoenix can summon great and powerful magic to whomever controls them. Immortality, magical strength and the ability to melt into shadows are just some of the powers associated with the power of a shadow phoenix. According to our world's legends, only one phoenix had ever been corrupted, and its controller managed to sink Atlantis with that power…"

Harry gulped. "Like in '53…" He whispered softly. "Dumbledore's first major attack against the Allies. He tried to sink the French coasts for over three months. Over a million-people died in the attack. It was considered the first major use of the shadow phoenix in Dumbledore's possession. One that we don't know for sure is Fawkes."

Hermione paced around the room a little. "Careful what you wish for, eh?" She bitterly laughed. "We wanted life. I wanted to be with Harry and my parents, and now we're stuck in another war. One that's lasted since the '40s. What other magic is banned or limited?"

"The Unforgivables are classed an act of terrorism. Use of one is life imprisonment and the binding of one's magic." Harry answered softly. "Transfiguration and other things that can alter the world can only be used by someone with at least their N.E.W.T in the subject. Battle magic is only taught to Aurors now, and a lot of old school books are kept under wraps." He leaned against the window frame, turning to the two of them. "All in all, it's for the safety of both worlds. Ghosts are seen now as historical figures who are able to bridge gaps in history. Our dear old friend Nearly Headless Nick has actually become a great author. He has someone write down what he speaks and the profits go into repairing old buildings around the country."

Hermione smiled. "I must pick up some of his books. I haven't read a lot of books lately." She whispered sadly. She didn't really know what to do with this new life. Jason was a beautiful boy, and her memories were full of happiness and great times, but she didn't feel at home yet. Harry had warned her it took him weeks to come to terms with things, but she didn't know if she could. Luna was taking things rather well, though her personality was always soft and easy going, at least until she couldn't take life anymore.

Harry glanced over at them. "I think we should put a pin in things until tomorrow. Luna, call your folks and tell them you're with us. I'll personally bring you home tomorrow when we have a plan."

 **-ABL-**

Hermione had been the first to wake up out of the three of them. She took a look around Harry's flat, examining the different items that littered the shelves and table. He seemed to be somewhat more educated than Harry had been in their world. He had a lot of the classics, as well as several modern books about the conflicts and the use of warfare tactics. It impressed her that someone so immature could have such tastes. He also had some picture albums from his school days and several other occasions. She picked up one of the books written by an author she'd never heard of, which seemed to be filled with the biography of the main players in the beginning of the war.

"It's a penname." Harry's voice broke through her thoughts. He leaned against the wall, wearing nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms and his glasses. "It's one of Mum's books. She writes about the history of the war and the biographies of the leaders. Her book on Dumbledore was a best seller."

"Your mum's an author?" She closed the book, turning to him. He looked so carefree, so unlike the way he once looked. The scar on his chest was unusual enough for her to take a second glance at. He moved closer to her, and she found herself with a pair of lips on hers. "I was trying to read." She protested, though her arms wrapped around his neck. He had taken the best parts of both Harrys. The kindness and gentleness of her Harry, and the confidence and devil may care attitude of the other Harry. He was what her Harry should have been, daring and powerful, but with a great heart. Not afraid to claim her as his, but also caring enough to know who she was.

Harry chuckled. "I'll leave you to it then." He kissed her neck, heading to the kettle. "Tea?"

Hermione nodded. "Can I ask you something? What are your plans when all this is over?"

"Live my life. Retire from the Aurors and spend my life with you and J." Harry answered, plopping a teabag in the cup. He opened the pantry, grabbing a jar of coffee beans. "Probably get my N.E. . Find something else to do in life. Spell creation has become quite popular in the last few years. Once I actually manage to create something that isn't just a spell from our world."

Hermione shook her head. "And you're sure you'll be up for that? Spell creation takes a Mastery of Arithmancy after all."

Harry shrugged. "This guy's a lot smarter than I was." He admitted, adding milk and sugar to his coffee. Hermione usually took her tea with only milk, so he didn't really have to worry about upsetting her dentist parents. "If I had stayed in Hogwarts this year, I would have gotten at least seven O's in the tests, not to mention Arithmancy and Runes were this guy's speciality." He placed the cup on the table for her. "If he hadn't been so keen on fighting, I think he would've made a great teacher."

"But you agree with his decision, don't you?" Hermione couldn't help but smirk at that. "You always were one for fighting over using your head." She put her feet on the sofa, glancing through the book. "English Minister for Magic at the time, Charlus Ignotus Potter had been one of the first to vocally agree to the Dublin Treaty, which officially ended the Statute of Secrecy, replacing it with the Accords." She read aloud. "Your grandfather was the last Minister for Magic?"

"No. He was the last Minister who served a Prime Minister like role. Now the Minister for Magic sits in the Houses of Common. The current Minister is a man by the name of Remus Lupin." Harry grinned. "Ol' Moony's not doing too bad for himself. He still pops by every Friday for dinner." He finished his own coffee, opening the window. The whole road had been locked down since Piccadilly Circus and he didn't really know when it was going to be reopened. It was odd to have such peace and quiet in the usually noisy area.

Hermione smiled softly. "Dare I ask about Sirius?"

"He's, well he's Sirius." Harry picked up a coin, staring out the window. "He's living his life to the fullest. Helping out on the frontlines with aid and humanitarian missions. He's been away for nine months this time. Only got back a few weeks before my accident. Every time he leaves, he ends up leaving everyone on edge."

Hermione finished her tea, grabbing one of the books from the shelf with the same penname. "How many books has your mum written?"

"Fifteen on the war using her penname. Four under her own name which are mostly for helping muggle parents deal with magical children." Harry replied, sliding from the window ledge. He sat down beside her, kissing her neck once again. "You know, we have some time before we've to head to Granddad's." He licked his lips. "And I owe you so many apologies."

Hermione groaned. "Harry, stop thinking with your dick." She flicked his nose. "Wait until Luna's gone home so we can actually have some privacy. I'm not going to sleep with you when our friend is currently sleeping in the other room."

Harry gave her his best pout. "But I've missed you."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Harry, while you haven't been having sex with her, I'm sure Hermione kept you nice and sated." She reopened her book, resting her against the headrest.

"I wouldn't let her." Harry admitted. "This guy," He gestured to his own body. "He was a fucking prick to people, Mione. Slept with people to get back at other people and make himself feel better. He liked to think of himself as someone better than others." He sighed softly, running his hands through his hair. "I didn't want her to think I only wanted her body."

Hermione smiled softly. "You truly are the best parts of both, aren't you?" She stroked his cheek affectionately. "Caring, kind, confident. Everything you deserved to be in our world." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." He smirked slightly, kissing her forehead. "What is it?"

"Why didn't you pursue me?" She whispered softly.

Harry scoffed. "I had a stupid idea of what loyalty meant. I knew Ron was harbouring feelings for you. Merlin, I'd spend months listening to him moan out your name is his sleep." He chuckled weakly. "I thought that being a good friend meant not pursuing who I loved because I didn't want to hurt Ron's feelings. As for Ginny…as much as I hate to admit it…she made me feel…"

"Special." Hermione finished for him. "Like you were the most important person in the world to them." She smiled sadly, kissing him softly. "Like you did for me. And I latched onto Ron because I thought I could beat it into you that I loved you." She held onto him, stroking his hair. "Now, we've got everything I ever wanted." She shook her head. "Harry, I love you more than I can describe. But I'm telling you here and now," She pulled his face to hers. "If you ever do what he did to her, we're done."

Harry stared into her chocolate eyes. "I'd rather die than ever betray you, Mione." He kissed her deeply.

Hermione kissed him back. "No sex!" She reminded him.

"Ok." Harry gave an overdramatic sigh, kissing her forehead. "I'll get J ready for the day."

Hermione smiled. "I'll get his breakfast ready. And wake Luna up."

Harry shook his head. "No way am I going in there. Luna once told me in great detail that she liked to sleep in the nip."

"Honestly Harry, that's our Luna, not the old one from here." Hermione huffed.

"It was our Luna that told me that." Harry explained. "Something about being closer to nature."

Hermione shook her head. "Somehow, that makes sense when Luna says it…"

- **ABL** -

Thomas didn't really know why his grandson had appeared at his home with both the lovely Miss Granger and the rebellious Miss Lovegood, but he knew that there had to be a good reason. He invited them into the living room, shaking his head. "You couldn't give your grandmother and I a few days to get back into the swing of things, could you?" He sighed. "And I'm impressed by your little spell, but there's no way that my grandson created such a powerful spell."

Harry wanted to argue, but he knew it was pointless. "Well, that spell had a little side effect." He frowned. "Death saw his chance and decided to reclaim the cloak from me." He rested against the wall. "Granddad, meet Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood. From my world." He whispered.

Thomas' eyes widened at that. "Forgive my ignorance. How are you dealing with the change?" He asked softly, pouring tea for them. He smiled at the toddler. "And there's my first great-grandson!" He picked the boy into his arms, hugging him.

"We've all got our memories melded." Luna answered with her usual airiness. "And you're extremely different than the Riddle from our world. You have a nose for one. Not to mention your aura is clean." She sat down with her cup of tea, sipping it. "Hmm, lemon."

Harry kept his position at the wall. "We need to plan, granddad." He smiled at the cooing of his son. "I don't want to spend my life fighting, so I think we need to start working on what we're going to do about Dumbledore." He crossed his arms. "And what we can do about his little empire too."

Thomas sighed. "Back to fighting the world, are we?" He asked with a tired smile. It seemed that no matter which reality there was, Harry was going to have to be the fighter in the family. He shook his head for a moment. "Fine, but we're not planning this in my home. I'm not letting this be the war centre." He kissed his wife's cheek.

"And you're going to need a lot of help." Viola replied. "I'll make some sandwiches and have everyone go to the summer house." She shook her head. "Damn kids can't just let their nana relax for a day."

Hermione chuckled. "I'll help you, Mrs Riddle." She walked into the kitchen with her, grabbing the bread and butter. "How was your holiday?"

"Same as usual. Spent some time on the beaches and then Tommy and I spent the rest of time with some of our other friends. Spain is probably one of the only places where I feel safe, besides here of course." Viola frowned. "Damn. Harry, go to the shop and pick up some meat, cheese and salad!" She tossed her purse to him as he walked in. "And take my car. I don't want you on that death machine of yours!"

"Yes nana." Harry took the keys from the bowl.

Hermione smiled. "He's never had a grandmother figure before." She commented lightly. "We had Professor McGonagall, but she was like the strict aunt you hate spending time with." She buttered the bread, listening to the sounds of her son laughing with his great-grandfather.

"Minnie is someone you have to know for a long time to get along with." Viola agreed, sitting down to help the girl. "So, are you and my grandson doing ok? I know it must be hard to have those other memories."

Hermione nodded. "It's hard to accept, but it wasn't my Harry that did those things." She whispered. "My Harry was this kind soul. The kind of soul who pushed me into someone else's arms so he could keep me safe. He put everyone else first, but like this Hermione, he was a bit of a doormat at times." She sighed. "Harry let himself get manipulated a lot. His emotions ran high, so he was reckless. But now, he's like the perfect mix of the Harry you remember and the one that I remember." She loved hearing Jason laughing in the other room. "And we have everything we ever wanted. We've a family that we love. My parents can see me use magic. And we've a baby boy who I absolutely adore."

Viola smiled. "That's proper love then." She patted the girl on the hand, finishing her tea. "And that spell that he used…what was it?"

"The Patronus." Hermione smiled brightly. "It's probably the best proof of how powerful your grandson is, Mrs Riddle. The Patronus in our world can repel Dementors through pure happiness. For while they feed on the anguish of people, they do so by first eating whatever happy memories they have. Harry literally overfed them to the point that they exploded. It's not exactly an easy thing to do, nor did come easy to him." She explained. "In our world, adults your age have problems casting it. Harry," Her smile only grew brighter. "He mastered it at the age of thirteen."

Viola chuckled. "I never needed to know how powerful he was. James and Lily always had a powerful baby on their hands. Harry is probably one of my stronger magical grandchildren. His tenacity and stubbornness drove him to be the best he could be, and that's what makes me worry. Even if your Harry has managed to calm both of them into a mature adult…that tenacity is going to get him injured time and time again. He's so like his grandfather in that regard. Thomas has injured himself more times than I'd like to remember in his vendetta against Dumbledore."

Hermione frowned. "Vendetta? That sounds personal…"

Viola nodded. "Thomas was actually Dumbledore's prized pupil when Dumbledore taught at Hogwarts. He was a master manipulator back then too. He had everyone convinced that he opposed Grindelwald and fought for the Light. He had a brother and a sister. Thomas was close to Abeforth and Ariana Dumbledore. He spent most of his time with them at the Hog's Head Inn when it was open in Hogsmeade. When Dumbledore revealed his true colours, the first thing that he did was kill his family and flee the country." She closed her eyes. "As the pub engulfed in flames, Thomas ran in to try and find his friends. They were already dead. So, in that burning building, while he was close to death himself, Thomas vowed that he would avenge his friends and began his vendetta against Dumbledore."

Hermione held her hand to her mouth as she listened to the tale. So much of it had been similar to her own world, but she still couldn't believe that Dumbledore could have been so heartless as to kill his ill sister and his brother. "Harry's got his own vendetta I suppose, but his is against Death. Death has tricked and manipulated him several times."

Viola frowned. "I told Thomas not to mess with those kind of Old Magicks. Too dangerous to anger the Old Gods and their ways." She shook her head for a moment, pouring more tea as she vaguely heard her husband discussing some theory with Miss Lovegood. "Thomas is a proud man, one that I love with my heart…but I fear that he and Harry are down a path that they can't really sustain." She smiled at the girl. "Now, let's call the cavalry in."

- **ABL** -

The trip to the summer house took a couple of hours, so the decision was made to include everyone who had to be included. Hermione's parents had been the first to be called, followed by Luna's parents, Harry's parents, aunts, siblings and cousins. Harry had his grandfather on the back of his bike since his grandmother had forbade anyone else to go on the trip with him. The two of them sped ahead as they reached the large summer house. He packed the bike in the garage, glancing around at the old house.

He tossed his helmet on one of the sofas, taking his wand out. With a quick wave of the magical item the sofas were pushed right against the walls. He transfigured an oak table and several chairs. He stuck a map of Europe on the wall, highlighting parts of the map that were under Dumbledore's control. He poured himself a cup of coffee as people started to fill the room. Hermione smiled weakly at him, holding onto Jason as her parents walked into the room. Luna looked even more nervous than her, with her hands literally shaking as she hugged her mother.

"Thanks for coming." He began softly, holding onto Jason for emotional support. "As many of you may know, it's been a hectic few weeks for me, but I'd like to explain a lot of things to you all. To start off with," He began explaining the deal between his grandfather and Death, as well as his own predicament when he was in what was basically Purgatory. He then gestured to Hermione and Luna, explaining that the three of them now held their memories from both worlds. It was a shocking revelation for the Grangers, while the Lovegoods seemed to take it a lot better. He took a deep once he finished his explanation, gesturing to the board behind him. "This, is going to be the War Room for a very ambitious project. One that will hopefully end the threat from Dumbledore once and for all." He gulped to himself. "Research. Planning. Destroying the people supporting him. We've a lot of hard work ahead of us and not a lot of time to do so."

James frowned. "Son, it'll take more than a few families to take down Dumbledore."

"I know that, Dad." Harry sighed. "But, if we pool resources and work with certain individuals, we may be able to find some way to seriously cripple Dumbledore's operation until there's nothing left of Dumbledore but a pile of fucking ashes."

Thomas shook his head. "You're being too ambitious." He slapped him over the head. "This isn't taking down some Dark Lord who can hide in the shadows. We're talking about the head of at least five governments, with a full ARMY of wizards and witches under his control. Not to mention endless amounts of Dark Creatures and Ferals. We'd need more than a bloody campaign to defeat him, we'll need to politically destroy him too."

"I know!" Harry repeated his earlier words tersely. "But, we've also got the ability to ensure we can't be caught. I know things. Things about the Dumbledore of my world. I know how to get under his skin. How to make him force his hand." He placed Jason in his mother's arms, pointing to a small section of Germany. "Gellert Grindelwald's grave. Dumbledore turned it into a town in the man's honour. We're going to take the towns that surrounds it and start insurrections in every single one of them." He glanced at them all.

"It's suicide!" James argued. "The town of Grindelwald is so highly fortified that bloody NATO couldn't breach it!" He crossed his arms. "You should start smaller. Hit the French seaside for now. There's already small insurrections going on with the Veela and the French Resistance."

Harry frowned. "They're too small. We'd be useless to them." He squared up to his father. "This isn't about Peter, dad. This is about making the man angry." He said softly. "I know Peter was your friend. And I know you miss him, but we're making a mistake if we help out France right now."

James stared into his eyes. "If we do this, all that's going to come of it is death and destruction."

Harry clenched his jaw. "Then I'll do it alone."

Thomas sighed, hitting the two of them with a stinging hex. "Hit the German countryside. Make your way towards Grindelwald slowly." He placed several pins in the map. "These are predominantly muggle towns. We'll have an easier time rallying them to help us." He chuckled weakly. "We'll still need help from the Aurors and the Frontline though."

Harry stroked his chin. "What if we got the 132nd airborne?" He asked curiously. "They're masters of quick in and out jobs."

"They're currently in Bulgaria." Sirius replied, moving a different coloured pin to another part of the map. "But the 144th is available at the moment. They may not be as fast as their brothers, but they can still make a difference."

Harry nodded. "Ok, contact the Allies." He turned to his grandfather. "Tell them the plan. We'll also need the 105th if they can spare them. We're going to start with the smaller muggle villages until such a time as we can storm the outer walls of Grindelwald."

Thomas nodded. "I'll get some of the old group together as well. The Knights of Walpurgis are still operational, but I can have the Dragon Brotherhood assembled by tomorrow. That'd be another fifty bodies, easily."

Harry smiled. "Good." He turned to his mother, Hermione, Mrs. Lovegood, Nana Viola and his aunts. "You're going to be coordinating from here. And before I hear any complaints…we need healers here. If we take you with us, we'll all be that focused on keeping you safe that it'll just hinder our senses." He saw Hermione's glare. "I love you all too much to risk any of you."

"And we don't want our children to grow up fatherless." Hermione bit back. "So, you had better get your arse back to us in one piece, Harry." She kept the glare on her face. "We'll manage the operation easily from here. Right, Mrs. Potter?"

Lily smiled. "Sure. Between you, me, and Mum, we'll have all the men on their toes." She winked mischievously. "But, I do think you should at least take Petunia with you. She's got contacts with people all over Europe."

Harry nodded, glancing at his aunt. "Be ready for 0600. We leave then."

Hermione snorted. "Aye Captain." She rolled her eyes. "As for you, handsome." She cooed at her son, placing him in Lily's arms. "Nana Potter's looking after you tonight so Daddy and I can have a much-needed talk."

"Am I going to like this talk?" Harry grinned.

"No." Hermione smirked, grabbing him by the ear. "But I will."

"Give him hell." Lily laughed, holding her grandson. "Say bye Daddy." She cooed.

"Ow!" Harry winced, watching his family laugh at him.


End file.
